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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint Martin de Nocé, originally built at the end of the 12th century, would have been largely destroyed during the Hundred Years' War by the English. The remaining parts were redesigned and completed in the 15th century in a style characteristic of that time. The building, rectangular in shape with a straight bedside, is flanked by two side chapels pierced with flamboyant sills and fills. The southern chapel, the former seigneurial chapel of the Counts of Amilly, and the tower of the bell tower, dating from the late twelfth century, bear witness to this turbulent history.

In the 19th century, the church floor was raised by about sixty centimetres to counter moisture problems. After World War I, a commemorative stained glass window representing St. Louis surrounded by 18 Poilus was installed above the main porch. In 1974, the building was listed as historical monuments, and works in 1976 revealed a chapel, statues and 16th century murals. The furniture includes a high altar of the late seventeenth century and seven 16th century statues.

The church also retains notable architectural elements, such as the tower of the bell tower with late Romanesque features and later added side chapels. These transformations reflect stylistic evolutions and liturgical needs throughout the centuries. Today, it remains an important testimony to the religious and historical heritage of Normandy, linked to local history and the conflicts that have marked the region.

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