Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Saint Aubin Church, located in the Pollet district of Dieppe, is the oldest church in this historical area. This area, once a free commune in the early 20th century, housed a population of mainly Cauchese fishermen until the mid-20th century, reinforcing local linguistic and cultural particularism. The present building came into being in the 13th century, when a first church was built to serve this maritime community.

In 1562, during the first Wars of Religion, the church was burned by Protestants. This destructive event occurred in a context of religious tensions in France, temporarily calmed by the peace of Saint-Germain in 1570 during the reign of Charles IX. The traces of this troubled period remain a landmark in its history, although later reconstructions have erased some of the original remains.

From the 18th to the 19th century, the church experienced significant embellishment. The choir was decorated with woodwork painted in the 18th century, while in the following century panels representing the Nativity were added. These changes illustrate the artistic and liturgical evolution of the building, mixing medieval heritage and more recent contributions. The church architecture, composite, thus extends from the 13th to the 17th century, reflecting the successive strata of its history.

Today, the church of Saint Aubin is part of the parish of Dieppe Nord, including the former commune of Neuville-lès-Dieppe. Its role in local memory is attested by sources such as the Manuscrit du Pollet (19th century), preserved in the library Jean Renoir. This document, among others, highlights the historical anchoring of the building in the community and religious life of the region.

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