Falaise (Canton of Falaise, Calvados) Church of Saint-Gervais

   The church of Saint-Gervais is located at the centre of the town of Falaise. Its construction probably began shortly after the conquest of England in 1066, at the instigation of William the Conqueror, and was completed in the reign of Henri I Beauclerc (1100-1135). The ceremonies and dedications to Saint Gervais and Saint Protais took place in April 1124 in the presence of the Duke-King.
The initial Romanesque building was inspired by the church of the Trinité of the Abbaye-aux-Dames [female abbey] in Caen, of which it was a dependency. Only a few elements remain in the south wall of the nave, the lantern tower and the west façade. Archaeological excavations in 1953 have shown that the Romanesque choir had the same appearance as that of Notre-Dame in Guibray, with an apse and two apsidioles. The most interesting Romanesque vestiges are the historiated capitals with secular themes, on the first four south pillars in the nave. They are reminiscent of the capitals of Ryes, Boscherville and Graville-Sainte-Honorine.
The remainder of the building dates from the 13^th, 15^th and 16^th centuries with some re-workings from the 18^th century.

Bibliography

- German, Paul. - L'église St-Gervais, Condé-sur-Noireau, 1991
- Libourel, Jean-Louis. - Falaise, Caen : Association de développement culturel en Basse-Normandie, 1990
- Musset, Lucien. " Les églises ", dans : Falaise, Art de Basse-Normandie, n° 39, p. 34 à 39
- Musset, Lucien. – Normandie romane, Zodiaque, La Pierre-Qui-Vire, 1987, T. 1, p. 33
- Musset, Lucien. " L'église St-Gervais ", dans : A travers la Basse-Normandie et son patrimoine, Monuments historiques, n°159, oct-nov. 1988
- Les siècles romans en Basse-Normandie, Art de Basse-Normandie, n° 92, Printemps 1985, p. 132