Église de Notre-Dame de Morsalines

Morsalines, which probably takes its name from the presence of ancient saltworks, boasts a charming church, which in the Middle Ages depended on the Priory of Saint-Côme-du-Mont, itself a son of the Abbey of Cluny, before being attached to the Cotentin archdeanery and the Valognes deanery.

This building, listed as a whole in the Monuments Historiques inventory and placed under the patronage of Notre-Dame and Saint-Blaise, has very ancient origins: its bell tower, a watchtower, has foundations dating back to the Romanesque period. Its structure is Gothic, but the choir, transept and porch were altered in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The interior is home to some genuine listed art treasures: an exceptional Baroque altarpiece from the 1730s, the work of a Cotentin craftsman, a veritable manifesto of Counter-Reformation art, embellished by two fine wooden statues of Saint-Maur and Saint-Blaise, of which the church possesses a relic; a remarkable polychrome stone Sainte-Barbe from the late 15th century; and an imposing 18th-century chasublier.

The two transept chapels also boast classical altarpieces, and the 19th-century stained-glass windows are not without interest.

Surrounded by a beautiful marine cemetery and famous for its ex-voto ships engraved in stone, the church of Morsalines has witnessed many historic events: the arrival of the English in 1346 at the start of the Hundred Years' War, a visit by King François 1er, the ?battle? of La Hougue, the 1944 landings at a time when it was close to an important German battery, a target for the Allies.

For years, the commune and the Association de Sauvegarde de l?Eglise have been working together to restore the church, and are now preparing to save its roof, which has been damaged by time and storms.

Visits to this beautiful edifice, which hosts numerous concerts in addition to religious ceremonies, are available on request from the president of the Association de Sauvegarde: famille.enquebecq@gmail.com or 0608934692.