Saint-Céneri le Gerei (canton of Alençon, Orne) Church of Saint-Céneri

    This church is probably the remainder of an abbey founded by one Cenericus, which disappeared during the Scandinavian invasions, and was given in the mid 11th century to the abbey of Saint-Evroult by the Géré family.
Its originality resides in the position of the central tower which, instead of being situated as was generally the case in Normandy on the corners of the transept crossing, is positioned on four independent square piers, joined to it by walls pierced by narrow passages. This type of construction has equivalents in the Berry region and in central France.
The transept and chevet, which probably date from the end of the 11th century, are built in cubic small bonding.
The interior of the church has the special feature which is virtually unique in Normandy, of having retained a painted decor which completely covered the walls from the last span of the nave. These frescoes date from the 14th century, but it is probable that some elements are older than this, such as in the north transept where some of the decorations have a Romanesque aesthetic.

Bibliography

- Musset L.,  Normandie romane, 1. Basse-Normandie, La Pierre-qui-Vire, 1967, p. 217-239
- L'art roman dans l'Orne, Art de Basse-Normandie, n° 66, été 1975, p. 9, 11, 16, 27
- Les siècles romans en Basse-Normandie, Art de Basse-Normandie, n° 92, Printemps 1985, p. 99
- Baylé, M. "L'architecture romane autour d'Alençon et d'Argentan", in : Aspect de l'art religieux dans l'Orne, Bulletin de la société historique et archéologique de l'Orne, t. CXVII, n° 1-2, mars-juin 1998, p. 12-15
- Lorel, J. “ Saint-Céneri-le-Gerei, son église, son site ”, dans Art de Basse-Normandie, n° 21, Printemps 1961, p. 12 à 17