A mention dating from 1082, a relocated municipal centre and memorials from different periods give Buais a clear historical thread. If you are planning a stay focused on local history, you can trace the town’s development here through specific buildings and memorial sites.

From the early settlement to Sainte-Anne

The first known mention of Buais appears in the 1082 charter of foundation of the collegiate church of Mortain. The date marks this early written mention; it does not automatically indicate when the town was founded. It provides a chronological starting point from which to understand the later changes to the municipal centre.

After the municipal centre was moved to Sainte-Anne, the original settlement came to be known as Vieux-Bourg. The names mark two stages in the town’s history: the old centre and the later centre in Sainte-Anne. The churches’ building history also tells of this change. In 1839, plans for a new church took shape after work had been carried out on the church and presbytery in the old centre. Construction of the new church began in 1862; the new church in Sainte-Anne was built in 1868. This makes it possible to distinguish the renovations, the start of construction and the completion as separate steps.

The former church in the old centre is said to date from the 11th century. This date should be understood as a tradition, not as a confirmed year. Together with the first known mention from 1082, it does not establish an exact foundation date, but offers a cautious view of the town’s early history and later architectural changes.

Churches, art and former uses

The Église Saint-Paterne is a 19th-century building. Inside is a Renaissance statue of Saint Paternus. The building and statue thus point to different periods in art history: the church dates from the 19th century, while the statue is attributed to the Renaissance. Visitors who pay particular attention to historical details will find both at one named site, without confusing their periods of origin.

Sainte-Anne’s history also includes the site of a former chapel. A building was later erected on the grounds of the former chapel, with a boys’ school housed on its ground floor. This connection adds another use of the site to the history of church construction: a religiously used plot was followed by a building that also served everyday school life. This makes the town’s development visible beyond its individual churches.

Remembrance in the townscape

Buais’s war memorial bears the names of 51 victims of the First World War, engraved in gold letters. The number and the workmanship are specific features of the memorial; they give remembrance a clearly defined form. A commemorative plaque also recalls a shooting on the road to Heussé.

These traces can provide a thread for exploring Buais: its early written mention, the change in the municipal centre, the history of its churches and school, and public remembrance. These themes allow for a nuanced view of the town, rather than reducing its history to a single building or date.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Denis-Le-Vêtu, Pirou-Plage, Villedieu-Les-Poêles, Carantilly, Aumeville-Lestre, Saint-Loup, Turqueville, La Barre-De-Semilly

For the overview of the wider travel area: Manche.