12. Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives to Lisieux

Probably dating from the late 10th or early 11th century, the church is one of the oldest churches in Normandy. The rubble stone walls embedded in thick mortar with horizontal chains of flat bricks bear witness to the architecture of that period. This church is one of the oldest in Normandy and is close to the group of churches of Saint-Jean-de-Livet, Saint-Martin-de-la-Lieue and Ouilly-le-Vicomte with a similar plan, a large nave and a choir with a flat chevet. The church of Vieux-Pont has, unlike the other churches, a bell tower attached to the choir on the south façade. The building was classified as a historical monument in 1862.

The entrance to the building, built in the 19th century, is through the southern facade, which has a bell-tower-porch with a square base and four levels of elevation, mostly in fired brick. In the first register, a portal with a checkerboard vaulted archivolt gives the faithful access to the building. In the second register, three elongated bays with archivolts alternate with four columns. The third register is characterized by its blind bays with a clock in the centre. The last register has four elongated bays, two of which are blind and the other two serve as sound dampers, and the checkerboard archivolts. The tower is topped by a Fry-type bell tower.

The original parish church, as well as the convent Notre-Dame-du-Pré which was affiliated to it, were completely destroyed by the bombings of 1944. In 1946, the rubble was cleared away, but it took another ten years before the church was rebuilt. Robert Camelot, chief architect for the reconstruction of Lisieux, was in charge of the work, which took place between 1956 and 1962. Unlike the classical churches, the architecture is considered to be one of the most remarkable achievements of the Reconstruction.

Rare monument of Lisieux, survivor of the bombings of 1944, the cathedral Saint-Pierre de Lisieux is a monument of Gothic style. If the presence of a cathedral is supposed since the 6th century, the church visible today was certainly built between 1160 and 1230.
Like many Norman churches, the external decoration of the cathedral of Lisieux is sober. For example, there are no sculpted statues on the facades of the portals. Only geometrical patterns, foliage, small columns or arcatures animate the stone. Small sculpted faces are the only fantasy elements on the outside.
The cathedral should not be confused with the Basilica of Saint Theresa of Lisieux, which is a 20th century basilica inspired by the Byzantine style.
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