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Origin and history

Saint-Manvieu de Meuvaines Church, located in Calvados, Normandy, is a Catholic building whose origins date back to at least the eleventh century. It initially depended on the abbey of Saint-Julien de Tours, before the bishop of Bayeux obtained its patronage in 1740. Its architecture combines Romanesque elements, visible in the nave and facade dated around 1100, and Gothic additions such as the transept and the top of the bell tower, partially redone in the seventeenth century. The facade, adorned with blind arches and foothills, also features two reliefs depicting St.Peter and St.Manvieu, described by Arcisse de Caumont as "quite barbaric statues".

The choir, vaulted with warheads and dating back to the second half of the 12th century, contrasts with the nave lambrissed in 1761, as evidenced by the engraved date. The lateral chapels, added between the 14th and 15th centuries, form a transept opened by warheads. Among the peculiarities of the building are a rare sculpted representation of the Supper, considered coarse, as well as a statue of Saint Manvieu as bishop, stolen and found in 1976. The latter, originally dated from the 16th century by Caumont, is now considered to be the 15th century. The windows, redone in the 18th century, and the bell tower arrow, rebuilt in the 19th century, finished marking the successive transformations of the church.

Ranked among historical monuments since May 21, 1927, the church also houses protected securities, such as a statue of Léonard de Noblat and two wooden statues from the 17th to 18th centuries. Its sundial, installed in the 15th century, and its cemetery cross, built during the restorations of the 18th century, recall its anchoring in local life. Modillons moved inside and zigzag-like at the base of the tower illustrate the architectural details preserved despite the modifications. The use of the opus spicatum on the walls of the nave, contrasting with the careful apparatus of the facade, highlights the diversity of techniques used over the centuries.

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