Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Martin church of Veules-les-Roses, dedicated to Saint Martin, is mentioned for the first time in 1026 in a charter of Richard II of Normandy granted to the Abbey of Fécamp. No vestiges of this time remain today. The building was rebuilt in the 13th century, but only the tower resisted the destruction of the Hundred Years War, marking the end of this first architectural phase.

The present church, erected between 1520 and 1612, presents a nave with three sandstone vessels, with a three-sided bedside, typical of the transition between Gothic and Renaissance. The frame, dated 1528 and 1542 for the south side, is based on carved piles combining italian motifs, exotic masks and maritime references, reflecting the local identity. The sacristy, added in the 19th century, completes the whole.

Ranked a historic monument in 1996, the church houses remarkable furniture: polychrome wooden statues (XVI century), a stone tomb (early 17th century), and an organ buffet by Guillaume Lesselier (1628). These elements illustrate its central role in religious and community life, from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

The historical sources also underline its link with the pilgrimages and the maritime vocation of the village, visible in the decorations of the piles. A parish monograph (Yves Bottineau-Fuchs, 2000) and academic articles deepen his study, particularly on figurative batteries, unique in Normandy.

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