The église Saint-Julien in Domfront was built in the 1920s on the site of an 18th century church that had been heavily damaged in a storm. It was consacrated in 1933.
This one of those churches that people really like or really hate, I think. I didn't take this photo — I grabbed it off Wikipédia (thanks...).
This one of those churches that people really like or really hate, I think. I didn't take this photo — I grabbed it off Wikipédia (thanks...).
Saint-Julien is a reinforced-concrete structure built in the neo-byzantine style. The architect was a Parisian who also designed the Armenian cathedral in Paris and the église Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc in Versailles.
I did take the photo on the left and the one just below, both in May 2005.
I didn't go inside. It was open the first time I went to Domfront in 2005, but by the time of my second visit in 2006 it had been closed to the public because pieces of concrete had begun crashing down. It was too dangerous. The church was restored over a seven-year period and re-opened to visitors in 2013.
Here are three photos of the Domfront church called Notre-Dame-sur-l'Eau. It's about a thousand years older than Saint-Julien. It was built at a spot where the Varenne river was fordable back then.
I didn't take these photos of Notre-Dame-sur-l'Eau either, but grabbed them off Google Maps (thanks...) in street view. It's too bad, because the hotel we stayed in both times we were in Domfront is just 200 meters up the road. We couldn't go into many places in 2005 because we were traveling with our dog. I don't know what happened in 2006.
It is said that Thomas Becket, then Archbishop of Canterbury, preached a sermon here in the 11th century. In the 1830s, a big part of the building was torn down to make way for a new road, leaving the part you see here.
There's one more church in Domfront that I know of. It's called Saint-Front and is located in an old village just south of the main part of the town. I haven't been able to find out much about it except that it dates back to the 17th century. It looks good in this photo I grabbed off a tourism web site (thanks...).
This may well be my last post about Domfront for now, unless I see other photos that I can't resist posting. My plan is to move on tomorrow.
This may well be my last post about Domfront for now, unless I see other photos that I can't resist posting. My plan is to move on tomorrow.
Thank you, Ken, for these photos which make a comparion possible. You already know that I really dislike the faux Italo-Byzantine facade of Saint-Julien. On the other hand I like its central tower and what I saw on Google Images of the interior's structure.
ReplyDeleteThe other two are beautiful. It is a shame they amputated part of the nave of Notre-Dame-su-l'Eau. I think it was not protected yet as a Monument Historique.
Wikipedia says N-D-sur-l'Eau was protected very early and was listed in 1840 as a historical monument. Have you seen this image showing what the church looked like in 1820?
DeleteYes, I saw that nice watercolor when I googled images of this church. I could not open the link with Duckduckgo, but no problem with Puffin??
DeleteI think I remember reading that part of the church was demolished in 1836, i.e. four years before its protection.
Prosper Mérimée of Carmen fame was, as Inspector of French Monuments, the one who protected historical monuments, as this little church, beginning in 1840.
For those interested in Prosper Mérimée, I suggest they read his English Wikipedia page. I highly recommend it.
Saint-Julien...I'm not a fan. It seems heavy handed. I like the humble little church by the water, Notre-Dame-sur-l'Eau.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for our visit to Domfront!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. I've enjoyed "re-visiting" Domfront and all the other places I've been blogging about during this long confinement. I would like to go back to Domfront, among other places, but there are plenty of places on my list that I've never seen before. Let's hope we can travel later this year.
DeleteLove seeing Notre Dames Sur l'Eau. Saint Julien looks better from the distance. Domfront has been so nice to see!
ReplyDeleteSaint-Julien is certainly not romantically beautiful, but it's there. I try to document what I see when I'm traveling and taking pictures.
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