Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of the Assumption of Our Lady, located in La Houblonnière in Calvados, has its origins in the 11th century, although its architecture was profoundly transformed in the 13th, 15th and 19th centuries. The building, built of stone and flint, is distinguished by its 15th century porch preceding a new door at the same time, while the side door, today condemned, retains a broken arch. The 13th century southern wall is next to a northern wall in opus spicatum decorated with grimaçant patterns. A 13th century cross remains on the gable, and the nave, vaulted in merrain, has a Renaissance painted decor. The surrounding cemetery, once traversable by a seigneurial gallery linking the church to the nearby castle, is an integral part of the classified site.

In the 15th century, the church underwent major modifications: the narrow windows were replaced by flamboyant warheads, and an elevated gallery was added to link the castle to the place of worship, spanning the cemetery. A pentagonal sacristy was added to the bedside in the 18th century, while in the 19th century the tower was enhanced, replacing an old pyramidal frame. The furniture includes a statue of St.Firmin (XIIth–XIIIth century), octagonal baptismal fonts (XVth century), and a bas-relief of St. The ensemble, inscribed in the historical monuments in 1948, illustrates Norman architectural and religious evolution over nearly a millennium.

The building, oriented and girded from its cemetery, preserves rare elements like two swimming pools reported by Arcisse de Caumont, a 13th century triumphal arch, and an altar of the late 18th century. The hexagonal arrow, placed on a terrace, dominates a straight bedside. The interior decoration, including the merrain vault of the nave and its Renaissance paintings, bears witness to the artistic importance of the place. The relationship between the church, the cemetery and the nearby castle — now separated but once connected — reveals a typical medieval spatial organization, where seigneurial power and religious life intertwined closely.

External links