Pontorson (canton of Pontorson, Manche) Church of Notre-Dame

    The church of Notre-Dame in Pontorson was probably given in 1158 by king Henri II to the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel. It was probably also damaged by fire in 1171.
In its ground plan, the building presents a single nave, a transept, whose crossing is surmounted by a tower, a choir with flat chevet and two chapels from the end of the 15^th century abutting the last bay of the nave and opening onto the transept. The church is in granite and largely Romanesque. The choir and transept seem to date back to the second quarter of the 12^th century, while the nave, which was built in a second campaign, probably dates from the last quarter of the 12^th century. The most remarkable Romanesque elements are the façade and the portal in the south wall of the nave, whose tympanum is ornamented with a relief portraying a man and a bird. The façade is singular with its two stair turrets and porch sheltering a gallery.

Bibliography

- Martin-Demézil, Jean. “ Notre-Dame de Pontorson ”, dans Congrès archéologique de France, CXXIVe session, 1966, Cotentin et Avranchin, Société Française d’Archéologie, Paris, 1966, p. 398 à 405
- Musset, Lucien. – Normandie romane, Zodiaque, La Pierre-Qui-Vire, 1987, 2 vol., T. I, p. 38