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Origin and history

The church of Saint Peter of Fontenailles, located in Longues-sur-Mer in Calvados, was a 12th century Catholic religious building. It was listed as historic monuments on May 16, 1927, recognizing its heritage value. Its architecture included a vaulted choir and a four-paned arrow, added in the 13th century for the bell tower. This monument reflected the Romanesque stylistic features of medieval Normandy, while integrating later Gothic evolutions.

During World War II, Longues-sur-Mer found himself at the edge of the American and Anglo-Canadian sectors during the Normandy Landing in June 1944. The church suffered major damage during the fighting, before being permanently destroyed. Today, only the foundations, a part of the bell tower (deprived of its upper arrow), as well as decorative elements such as the tympanum of the southern gate, remain. Some of these remains were moved to the parish church of St. Lawrence in Marigny.

Historical sources, such as the works of Arcisse de Caumont in the 19th century, attest to the importance of this church in the local religious landscape. Its destruction illustrates the heritage losses caused by the Battle of Normandy, while highlighting the resilience of the communities that have preserved the traces of this monument. The aerial photographs and archives still allow to study its location and its missing architectural features.

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