Chapelle des Marins, Medieval chapel in Gatteville-le-Phare, France.
The Chapelle des Marins is a Romanesque chapel featuring a semicircular apse decorated with small rounded arches and limestone carved corbels shaped like animals. The building stands beside the parish church and preserves wall paintings from the 11th century.
The chapel was built in the 11th century and shaped the history of this coastal community for centuries. It witnessed major ships wrecking on local rocks, including the famous Blanche-Nef in 1120.
Local sailors protected two significant statues during the French Revolution by hiding one in a well and burying another under the Saint-Pierre church bell tower.
The building sits directly beside the parish church and is easy to spot from the street. Visitors can view the structure at any time and study the Romanesque architectural details on its facade.
A memorial stone inside documents the 1860 loss of the American three-masted ship La Luna, which caused many deaths in the region. This remembrance connects the vessel's fate to the long history of sailors who worshipped at this chapel.
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