Saint Gervais St Protais Church

Saint Gervais church is at the very heart of Falaise. It was probably started just after the conquest of England in 1066, on the command of William the Conqueror and was finished during the reign of Henry I (1100-1135). The consecration and dedication ceremony (to Sts Gervais and Protais) took place in April 1124 in the presence of the King.

The original Norman church took the Abbey aux Dames in Caen (on which it depended) as its inspiration. Very few elements of that church are left, some in the south wall of the nave, the lantern-tower and the west front. An archeological dit in 1953 showed that the original choir was like that at Notre-Dame de Guibray, with an apse and two side chapels. The most interesting Norman remains are the capitals carved with profane subjects on the first for southern pillars of the nave. They are like those in Rye, Boscherville and Granville-Saint-Honorine.
The rest of the building dates from the 13th, 15th and 16th centuries with alterations in the 18th century. The church was badly damaged in the Battle of Normandy and has been extensively restored.