Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Church of Santiago de Dieppe, dedicated to Saint James, is a Catholic building built from the twelfth to the sixteenth century. It features flamboyant architectural and Renaissance styles. Its origins date back at least to the 12th century, with the construction of the transepts north and south. In 1282, Guillaume de Flavacourt, archbishop of Rouen, erected him in a parish. The choir, nave, and lower side dates mainly from the 13th century, while the vaults, triforium and large portal are added in the 14th century. The tower and most of the side chapels were built in the 15th century.

In the 16th century, under the impulse of Jehan Ango, a local patron, the church was enriched with a frieze called "the savages" in the chapel of the Treasury. This work illustrates the encounters between the Dieppian navigators and the peoples of the newly discovered lands, with scenes of parties, dances and fighting. Victor Hugo, visiting September 8, 1837, admires these "stone laces". The building was listed as a historic monument in 1840, reflecting its heritage importance.

The church underwent several restorations, notably before 1916 by architect Lucien Lefort. In 2015, the campanile was deposited for restoration after the collapse of the dome frame. Unfortunately, in November 2017, eight paintings by artists such as Anselma (Alejandrina Gessler y Lacroix) and Auguste Juillet were stolen. These works, dated from the 18th and 19th centuries, reflected Dieppe's artistic and maritime history.

The Church of Santiago embodies both the religious, architectural and maritime heritage of Dieppe. Its decorations, inspired by the voyages of the Dieppois explorers, make it a unique place in Normandy. The successive interventions, from the twelfth to the nineteenth centuries, illustrate its stylistic evolution and its anchor in local history.

External links