Basilique Notre Dame de la Délivrande
A place of worship and prayer since the 12th century. The present building, which replaced the Romanesque chapel (1150), was constructed between 1854 and 1895 in the Neo-Gothic style, inspired by 13th-century architecture, by the Rouen-based architect Jacques Barthélémy. The basilica houses the statue of the Black Madonna, Our Lady of the Deliverance. Having evolved from a pagan cult, the pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Deliverance is the oldest in Normandy. In the Middle Ages, it was as famous as that of Mont-Saint-Michel. A procession still takes place on 22 August.
The first known statue of Notre-Dame, dating from the Middle Ages, was destroyed by Protestants in 1561. The current stone statue is a Black Madonna which was donated in 1580 by Canon Legendre.
Free guided tours are available on Wednesdays in July and August at 5.00 pm, and on request for groups throughout the year, free of charge.
