Collégiale Notre-Dame d'Auffay, Gothic church in Auffay, France.
Collégiale Notre-Dame d'Auffay is a Gothic church of light grey stone with a tall octagonal spire rising from a crossing tower about 70 m high, flanked by two smaller octagonal turrets with dark caps. Its nave, 28 m long and 14 m wide, is bordered by two side aisles, and the transept keeps Romanesque parts. The west window is made of circles of different sizes enclosing spherical squares around a central six-lobed roundel.
Gilbert, lord of Auffay, founded the collegiate church, served from 1060 by six Augustinian canons, replaced in 1079 by Benedictine monks of Saint-Évroult sent by Abbot Mainier. The nave was rebuilt in the 13th century and completed after the visit of Eudes Rigaud, Archbishop of Rouen, on 13 January 1264. Soldiers of Charles the Bold burned it in 1472, and German troops set it on fire in June 1940; restoration returned the choir to use in 1955 and the nave in 1967.
The church continues to serve as a place where the local community gathers for religious celebrations and regular services. Stone carvings inside depict biblical scenes and help shape the feeling of the interior.
The building is open during daytime hours on most days and welcomes visitors without advance planning needed. Wear comfortable clothes and allow time to observe the interior details and architectural features at your own pace.
The two jacquemarts, Houzou Bénard and Paquet Sivière, are oak figures one metre tall, installed after the clock was restored in 1873. They stand at the crossing tower and the clock on the south transept, replacing two older figures whose costumes dated to the 17th century.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,186 contributors worldwide.