Église Notre-Dame de Vire, Medieval Gothic church in Vire, France
The Église Notre-Dame de Vire is a Gothic church built from local granite with a classic nave, transept, and a 16th-century flamboyant sanctuary containing the Rosary Chapel. Its interior holds paintings, an ornate organ case, and a statue of Saint Genevieve.
The church was built around 1230 on the foundations of a Romanesque chapel from 1150 and received its dedication to Notre-Dame in 1272 after 42 years of construction. This lengthy building period shaped its evolution from Romanesque to Gothic style.
The three bells cast in 1955 were named to honor regional figures and shape the soundscape of the town. They remain central to local religious and community life.
The church sits on Rue Notre-Dame in the town center and is easily accessed from the street, with a clear path through the nave to the choir and chapels. The Gothic layout guides visitors naturally from entrance to the deepest reaches of the interior.
The film 'Manon' directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot was partly shot among the church ruins in 1948 before its complete restoration. This cinematic encounter links the building to a notable chapter in French cinema history.
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