Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativity church of Putot-en-Bessin, built between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, is an architectural testimony of the transition between Romanesque and Gothic styles. According to Arcisse de Caumont, its arcature modillons and its unique nave (after removing lateral chapels) reflect this stylistic evolution. The entrance is through the northern gate, the southern gate having been moored for an indefinite period.

The building was severely damaged in June 1944 during the fighting for the liberation of Putot-en-Bessin by Canadian troops during the Battle of Normandy. The third Gothic floor of the bell tower, destroyed, was never rebuilt, altering its slender initial silhouette. The church, which has been listed as a historical monument since 1927, houses 18th-century baptismal fonts in pink marble, also protected.

The adjacent cemetery retains a cross of 1744, classified and restored after damage suffered in 1944. This furniture and exterior elements complement the historical heritage of the site, marked by the conflicts of the twentieth century and medieval architectural transformations.

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