Norrey-En-Auge draws attention to a rich heritage of church architecture, wall painting, and stained glass. The town is particularly easy to understand through its two churches: Sainte-Anne combines Romanesque features with medieval images and a historic choir window; Notre-Dame adds to the picture with a group of figurative stained-glass windows. There are also visible monuments and remains of an abbey, which evoke further chapters in the town’s history.
Sainte-Anne: Masonry, Tower, and Wall Paintings
Several distinctive features come together at Sainte-Anne Church. It preserves 11th-century herringbone masonry, Romanesque round-arched arcades, and the walls of its side aisles. In herringbone masonry, the stones are laid in a zigzag pattern; the term immediately draws attention to the structure of the wall. A square tower with a slate spire completes the picture. The masonry, arcades, aisle walls, and tower can thus be viewed as distinct parts of the same building.
The 12th-century wall paintings reveal Sainte-Anne in another way. One depicts the Virgin presenting her child to the Magi for adoration; another shows Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The motifs represent different moments in the biblical narrative: here, the presentation of the child; there, the entry into Jerusalem. Those interested in pictorial programs can therefore consider not only individual figures, but also the choice of scenes depicted.
Stained Glass in Two Churches
A remarkable stained-glass window from the 1240s is located in the choir of Sainte-Anne Church. It was reassembled from various pieces in 1874. The dates refer to different stages: the stained-glass window dates from the 1240s, and its reassembly took place in 1874. It depicts the Visitation and Saint Margaret of Antioch emerging from the dragon’s belly. The window thus combines a biblical scene with a depiction of a saint. It was designated a protected historic object on February 9, 1925.
The parish church of Notre-Dame adds to this artistic history with a group of four figurative stained-glass windows. They depict Saint Augustine, Saint George, Saint Louis, Saint Henry, and Saint Evroult. One window shows Evroult founding his monastery. The group comprises four windows, while the depictions named include five saints. Compared with Sainte-Anne, the emphasis here is on a group of saintly figures and an explicitly narrated founding motif.
Monuments and Traces of the Abbey
The historical picture continues beyond the churches. Among the last remains of the abbey in Norrey-En-Auge is the Grange aux Dîmes, a 16th-century tithe barn. The Motte cadastrale de la Baronnie is another visible monument in the town. A manor house visible in Norrey-En-Auge was built in the 17th century and is privately owned. These examples represent different historical points of reference: the remains of an abbey, a visible monument, and a privately owned manor house.
Regional Setting
Norrey-En-Auge lies on the edge of the Falaise Plain and on the border of the Pays d’Auge. This location provides a regional context for the town’s description; the churches, artworks, and monuments remain concrete focal points for a stay in the town. Several themes offer useful points of reference: Romanesque architecture, medieval wall paintings, stained glass, and buildings associated with the abbey.
Discover more destinations: Barneville-la-Bertran, Le Mesnil-Patry, Saint-Aubin-Sur-Mer, Saint-Léger-Dubosq, Saint-Ouen-Des-Besaces, Manerbe, Le Molay-Littry, Condé-Sur-Noireau.
For the main travel overview: Calvados.
