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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Chapel of Remembrance, also known as the chapel of the former small seminary or the Immaculate Conception, is a Catholic building located in Flers, Orne. Built between 1926 and 1932, it pays tribute to teachers and students who died during the First World War. Its financing comes from a diocesan subscription, and its realization is entrusted to the architect Louis Pignard, then diocesan architect of Sées. The building, made of reinforced concrete, is distinguished by its stylistic Art Deco unit and its sacred decor influenced by Maurice Denis.

The interior decor, exceptionally preserved, is the work of painter Émile Beaume (Rome Prize in 1921) and painter-glassman Louis Barillet, close to Maurice Denis. The stained glass windows, dominated by deep blues, represent in particular a tree of Jesse, while the wall paintings, although the exteriors have disappeared, remain inside. The organ, integrated with the decor, combines marquetry and frescoes of musicians, illustrating the attention paid to each liturgical and aesthetic detail.

Ranked a historic monument in 2006 for its architectural and decorative ensemble (paintings, stained glass, altars, benches), the chapel is now managed by a safeguard association created in 1983. It regularly opens its doors at European Heritage Days and offers guided tours, highlighting its memorial role and heritage importance in Normandy. Its style and iconography make it a unique testimony of the sacred art of the interwar period in Lower Normandy.

The chapel is partly inspired by the church of Notre-Dame du Raincy, notably by its bell tower with claustras, while developing a proper identity. Its history also reflects the commitment of Canon Robveille, school director, who supervised the project, and the influence of Catholic artistic networks of the time, mixing religious tradition and architectural modernity.

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