Église Notre-Dame des Champs, Gothic Revival parish church in Avranches, France
Église Notre-Dame-des-Champs is a Gothic Revival church built of gray stone, with two square towers and pointed spires flanking a central gabled front. A large rose window with radiating tracery sits between the towers above three pointed-arch portals. A lower aisle with pointed windows and buttresses runs along the side, ending in a slender spire over the transept crossing.
The old Notre-Dame-des-Champs church stood south of the town and was founded in the late 12th or early 13th century. Its replacement was planned from about 1855, after the collapse of Saint-André cathedral, to designs by local architect Nicolas Théberge. The first stone was laid on 12 April 1863; state funding came only in 1876 and the church was consecrated on 13 November 1892. The facade towers were finished between 1926 and 1937, and after a fire in June 1944 it reopened for worship in February 1962.
The church serves as a focal point for the local community's spiritual life and continues to host regular worship gatherings. Its design reflects how 19th-century communities expressed their faith through grand architectural choices.
The church is located at Place Carnot and welcomes visitors throughout the year for religious services and cultural visits. It is advisable to check opening hours beforehand, as these may vary depending on religious services and special events.
The two facade towers were only finished between 1926 and 1937, decades after the first stone was laid in 1863, and their spires were never completed. The planned axial chapel of the choir was likewise left unbuilt. The architect Nicolas Théberge died in 1866 and was replaced by Cheftel.
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