NOTRE-DAME-DU-PRÉ CHURCH

Built between the ^11th and ^12th centuries, today's parish church was originally a chapel belonging to the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Julien-du-Pré. It was built in the Romanesque style, beginning with the choir, the two arms of the transept and then the bays of the nave. The influence of the architecture of Saint-Julien cathedral is evident in the cross-shaped plan, three-level nave, false triforium and other features. The abbey's interior features Romanesque capitals adorned with reliefs, as well as a number of fascinating pieces of architectural heritage: a polychrome bas-relief from the ^16th or ^17th century depicting a religious procession, and a painting of the Donation of the Rosary by François Fleuriot (1624). The new glasswork at Notre-Dame-du-Pré (the name given after the restoration work) was created by Max Ingrand (1908-1969, a renowned glass painter of his time, who also worked on the cathedral). It is of high quality, with interesting iconography. All that remains of the former stained-glass windows is a ^15th-century window depicting St. Julien spouting a spring in front of Abbess Isabeau de Hauteville, and Christ on the Cross, between the Virgin Mary and St. John. The stained glass windows in the present-day church include symbolic representations of the Gospel parables. Scenes from local history are also featured, as well as a representation of the Virgin Mary.