Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul church of Neubourg, built in the 15th and 16th centuries, embodies the late Gothic style in Normandy. His history began before the 11th century, with a first mention in 1077 when Roger de Beaumont, local lord, gave up part of the tithe of his forest of Brionne. The primitive building, damaged by a fire in 1118 during Henry I raids, was partially restored in the 13th century, as evidenced by the bases of the choir pillars. The Hundred Years War worsened his condition: after the fires of 1447 and 1449, a major reconstruction was undertaken between 1461 and 1483 under Louis XI, giving rise to the present church, marked by its two unfinished facade towers.

In the 16th century, unrest persisted: in 1592, the Duke of Parma's troops burned down the church during the Wars of Religion. The repairs ended in 1611, as indicated by the main door, and the seventeenth century saw the addition of baroque furniture. The church, the seat of elections for the general states of 1789, escaped revolutionary destruction and even recovered elements of Saint John's Abbey. In the 19th century, a major restoration (1848-1865) altered the vaults and windows, while Jacques-Eugène Barthélémy, diocesan architect, supervised the works.

The twentieth and twenty-first centuries brought new challenges. Damaged during the Second World War (disappearance of the campanile in 1944), the church was restored in the 1950s under the direction of Jean Merlet, chief architect of the Historic Monuments. The 19th century stained glass windows (inspired from Saint-Ouen de Rouen) and those of Jean Barillet (XX century) now adorn the interior. In 2025, structural risks on the tower limit its access, recalling the fragility of this heritage classified since 1938.

Among the treasures of the church is The Resurrection of Christ, painting by Nicolas Loir (1624-1679), 17th century painter. Modern stained glass windows, such as those of the Barillet workshop (1960-1966), interact with medieval vestiges, illustrating a centuries-old architectural and artistic history.

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