Notre-Dame Church (Église Notre-Dame)
About Notre-Dame Church (Église Notre-Dame)
This neo-Gothic parish church was built between 1888 and 1896, designed by architect Alfred Louis Frangeul from Saint-Malo. The church was entirely financed through private donations from local residents, a rare example of community-funded construction. It survived the devastating WWII bombing of June 14, 1944, which destroyed 90% of Vimoutiers. The original stained glass windows were shattered during the bombing and replaced in 1952 by master glassmaker Gabriel Loire from Chartres using a modern cut glass slab technique. These colorful windows depict Norman history including Vikings, monks of Jumièges, and Camembert cheese production. The church houses the last organ built by legendary organ maker Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, featuring 3 keyboards and 1,800 pipes, now classified as a Historic Monument. Free guided tours are available on weekdays.
Interesting Facts
The reconstruction of the stained glass windows was partly funded through the personal intervention of Margaret Mitchell, author of "Gone with the Wind." After the war, Vimoutiers was adopted by the American Pilot Club International, which financed most of the new windows as a symbol of Franco-American friendship.
The church organ has an identical twin in Moscow, Russia. Aristide Cavaillé-Coll built both instruments simultaneously in the late 1890s. The Vimoutiers organ was his 499th and final creation before his death, making it the last masterpiece of France's most celebrated organ builder, who also created the organs for Notre-Dame de Paris.
The church's survival during the June 1944 bombing was attributed to its solid pile foundations, which absorbed the shock waves while surrounding buildings collapsed. German forces had painted the church spires in camouflage during the occupation, and traces of this paint were only fully removed during restoration work in the 1990s.
Planning Your Visit
Opening Hours
Location & Practical Info
Address
Place de Mackau, 61120 Vimoutiers, France
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