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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Michel de Tordouet is a Catholic building located in the village of Tordouet, in the department of Calvados in Normandy. It is dedicated to Saint Michel and dominates the village from a hillside, offering views of the surrounding countryside. Its major architectural peculiarity is its Romanesque tower, built at the end of the 11th century, which earned it its classification as the Historic Monuments in 1909. This tower, of octagonal shape in its upper part, rests on a square base and is surmounted by a frame arrow covered with chestnut wood essences.

The tower occupies a lateral position compared to the rest of the building, rebuilt at the beginning of the nineteenth century in a classical style to meet a need for space, linked to the demographic peak of Tordouet at that time. The choir of the original Romanesque church remains, allowing to reconstruct the original plan. The apse, cut into five straight sections, has a stripped style with murderers and a cornice similar to that of the tower, ensuring an architectural unit.

The church houses a retable and a 17th century painting, classified as objects at the Monuments. The altarpiece and painting, entitled Christ in the Redeemer Cross of the Universe, bear witness to the artistic richness of the building. The bell tower, the only element classified in 1909, remains a remarkable example of Norman Romanesque architecture.

According to sources, the church is mentioned in the Monumental Statistics of the Calvados d'Arcisse de Caumont, published in 1867, which describes its architectural characteristics. The monument is now owned by the municipality of Tordouet, located in the region of Basse-Normandie (present-day Normandy).

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