Orglandes (canton of Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, Manche) Church of Notre-Dame

    The church of Notre-Dame in Orglandes, at the centre of the Cotentin peninsula, retains some vestiges of Romanesque work in a structure which dates mostly from the 15th century (nave and choir): the west base of the tower, in terms of structural work, and, in terms of decorative work, small columns at the entrance to the choir and capitals with scallops or interlace decoration on the chancel arch, A decorative capital probably represents the Visitation.
The church is, however, above all remarkable for the presence of a bas-relief re-used in the tympanum of the south doorway of the nave. This is a large slab 1.40 x 0.53m with arched niches on each side. The sculpted relief in the centre, represents Christ in Majesty in a mandorla, surrounded by symbols of the Evangelists and Apostles, Peter and Paul. This dates from the beginning of the 12th century, and is the only known relief of this type in Normandy.

Bibliography

- Musset, Lucien. - Normandie romane, I : la Basse-Normandie, La Pierre-qui-Vire, Zodiaque, 3^e éd., 1987, p. 297
- Les siècles romans en Basse-Normandie, Art de Basse-Normandie, n° 92, Printemps 1985, p. 125, 127