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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Malo de Valognes, located in the Manche department in Normandy, was built between 1420 and the beginning of the sixteenth century, on the ruins of an 11th century ducal chapel founded by William the Conqueror. Its construction, carried out during the Hundred Years War, reflects an economic recovery despite the English occupation. The flamboyant Gothic choir, financed by the merchant bourgeoisie under Louis XI, and the Renaissance porch, decorated with elephants and a family tree of the Virgin, bear witness to its artistic and religious importance.

The church was erected as a collegiate church in 1580 for twelve canons, a privilege abolished in 1698. Damaged during the Wars of Religion, it housed chapels founded by local families, such as the Fèvre. In June 1944, the bombings of the Battle of Normandy destroyed its nave, its 17th century Byzantine dome and its porch. After the war, the choir was restored identically, while the nave was rebuilt with modern techniques, allowing its reopening in 1964.

Ranked a historic monument in 1920, the church preserves remarkable elements such as an armorial tombstone of 1739 and works of contemporary art, including a statue of Saint John the Baptist by Roland Guillaumel and a fresco by Lucien Jeay. His organ, unusable since 2023, awaits restoration. The site also houses the burial of Jean-Charles Lepigeon, mayor of Valognes in the 18th century, illustrating his central role in local life.

The building thus embodies almost six centuries of history, marking both medieval religious power, the upheavals of wars and Norman heritage resilience.

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