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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Saint-Martin de Nonant church, located in the Calvados department on the banks of the Seulles, is a Catholic building built from the twelfth to the fifteenth century. The nave, dating from the 12th century, has a marked Romanesque style, while the choir, added in the 13th century, illustrates the transition to Gothic art. The side chapels and tower, erected between the 14th and 15th centuries, complete this hybrid architectural ensemble. The southern porch, adorned with remarkable bird sculptures and mouldings, received special attention from Arcisse de Caumont in the 19th century, which opposed its transformation into a chapel to preserve its decorative elements.

The renovations of the 18th and 19th centuries modified certain aspects of the building, such as the warhead windows of the north nave, dated the 16th century. The church was under the patronage of the bishop of Lisieux, stressing its religious importance in the region. Ranked a historic monument in 1975, it now embodies a rich architectural heritage, bearing witness to medieval stylistic developments in Normandy. Its built roof and carved porch make it a characteristic example of Norman rural churches, combining spiritual and artistic functions.

Arcisse de Caumont, in his monumental Statistique du Calvados (1857), accurately described the architectural elements of the church, emphasizing the heritage value of the porch. The latter, threatened by plans to modify in the nineteenth century, was finally preserved thanks to its intervention. Archives and local sources, such as those of the community of communes of Bayeux, confirm its status as communal property and its openness to the public, although the practical details of the visit remain partially documented.

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