Saint-Lô (canton of Saint-Lô, Manche) Church of Sainte-Croix

    The church of Sainte-Croix in Saint-Lô, having undergone numerous metamorphoses was almost completely rebuilt in 1860-1863 losing a Romanesque nave whose earlier remains underline the profusion and originality of the decor. All that remains are the sculptures on the door and some capitals in the nave which were heavily re-worked by the 19th century restorers.
These seem to indicate the presence of sculptors active in the Saint-Lô region around the 1100 period and who were influenced by the workshops of the Central-Western region. The composition of the façade representing Sin enchained is unique in Normandy, as are some of the themes dealt with on what remains of the nave capitals: Hell, the Resurrection of the Dead, the Judgement and Crucifixion. But monstrous creatures or deer hunting scenes also appear as in Lande-de-Goult (Orne), Tamerville or Falaise (Saint-Gervais church). 

Bibliography

- Nédélec, Yves. “ L’église Sainte-Croix de Saint-Lô ”, Annuaire normand, Congrès de Saint-Lô, 1998, p. 17-19
- Baylé, Maylis. "Les origines et les premiers développement de la sculpture romane en Normandie", Art de Basse-Normandie, 100 bis, 1992, p. 103
- Baylé, Maylis. "La sculpture romane dans la région de Saint-Lô", Art de Basse-Normandie, 98, 1989, p. 35-39
- Musset, Lucien. - Normandie romane, 1, Basse-Normandie, Zodiaque, 1987, p. 244
- Les siècles romans en Basse-Normandie, Art de Basse-Normandie, n° 92, Printemps 1985, p. 115