Like so many religious buildings in the Cotentin, this church is consecrated to the Virgin Mary.  In Normandy alone, more than a thousand are named in her honor.  Built on the hillside town of Hainneville, the church stands in the middle of a cemetery.  A church existed at this site by the end of the 11th century, under the patronage of St-Sauveur-le-Vicomte Abbey and the powerful Norman baron Néel II.  It was not until 1650 that Louis Gigault de Bellefonds, Lord of Hainneville, became its patron and founded the Confraternity of the Holy Trinity in 1657.  An elegant bell tower (A), which dates from the middle of the 18th century, welcomes visitors.  The main portal is composed of a semicircular Gothic arch supported by pilasters topped with a classical triangular pediment.  The tympanum reveals a bas-relief shield which identifies the local lord, Jacques Bernardin, who took the title of Marquis de Bellefonds in 1753.  Above the door is this beautiful stained glass window in red adorned with tulips and lilies.  Inside, the 15th century choir (E) is quite large for a country church.  Punctuated by strong, round pillars it has the distinction of being flanked by two chapels.  (G) The sacristy is located to the south-east corner of the church beside the choir.  The southern chapel (F) is dedicated to Ste-Anne.  Its 18th century tabernacle is in polychrome wood with gold inlay.  It is currently undergoing restoration.  To the left and right are statues of St. Joseph and Venerable Thomas Hélye of Biville.  The northern chapel (D) is dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and was built in 1857 with generous donations from parish members.  It, too, is of polychrome wood and gold inlay.  The arches of the nave (B), which have been reworked throughout the 19th century, provide access to the aisles (C) which were enlarged and extended in 1859 to accommodate the growing local population.  Two columns along the south aisle have interesting corbels – one appears to be the face of a man while the other a face of an animal.  (1) The baptismal font is limestone and dates from the middle 19th century as does the (2) pine wood confessional.  Other points of interest throughout the church are the extraordinary stained glass windows from the workshops of Vermonet-Pommery in Riems: (3) St-Louis, (4) St-Albert, (5) St-Eloi, (6) The Virgin bestowing health, (7) St-Joseph, (8) St-John the Evangelist, (9) St-Francis de Sales, (10) St-James, and (11) Venerable Thomas Hélye.  Just before the altar are left (12) The Virgin and Infant, and right (13) St-John the Baptist – both in polychrome wood from the end of the 18th century.  (14) The three stained glass windows in the choir depict St-Peter and St-Paul with the Assumption of the Virgin at the center.  (15) One round column close to the altar has the limestone epitaph from 1510 of Gautier de la Chapelle, a priest from nearby Flottemanville.  (16) Another column nearby has the limestone epitaph from 1650 of priest, Gilles Nicollet.  Overall, this is a very warm and welcoming country church.  Although the congregation has decreased over the years, it is still a part of my local parish, Notre-Dame de l'Assomption.

The cold front moving across Europe has come to an end leaving snow and icy roads in its wake.  Yesterday, the snow was at its most glorious with more than 45cm blanketing many towns throughout La Manche.  I took advantage of this rare occurrence and snapped some photos of the streets of Querqueville.  Perhaps my readers will recognize some of the streets.  Enjoy !  Rue de la plage Rue de la plage Rue de la plage Rue de la plage Rue de la plage Rue de la plage Rue de la plage La Manoir de Banville La Manoir de Banville Rue Pierre Cardron Rue de l’église Rue du Général Leclerc Rue du Général Leclerc Rue du Général Leclerc Rue du Général Leclerc Rue du Général Leclerc Rue de la Chênaie Avenue de Couville Mairie de Querqueville Mairie de Querqueville Mairie de Querqueville Manoir de la Coquerie Manoir de la Coquerie Manoir de la Coquerie Chemin du Presbytère Chemin du Presbytère L'église Notre-Dame L'église Notre-Dame L'église Notre-Dame L'église Notre-Dame L'église Notre-Dame L'église Notre-Dame L'église Notre-Dame L'église Notre-Dame L'église Notre-Dame L'église Notre-Dame L'église Notre-DameQuerqueville L'église Notre-Dame et Chapelle Saint-Germain L'église Notre-Dame et Chapelle Saint-Germain L'église Notre-Dame et Chapelle Saint-Germain L'église Notre-Dame et Chapelle Saint-Germain Rue Roger Glinel Rue Roger Glinel Rue Roger Glinel Rue Roger Glinel Rue Roger Glinel Rue Roger Glinel Rue Roger Glinel Ferme de la Rocambole, rue Roger Glinel Rue Vieille Rue Rue Vieille Rue Rue Vieille Rue Rue Vieille Rue Rue Vieille Rue Rue Lemagnen Rue Lemagnen Rue Lemagnen Rue des Francs Boulevard de la Hague Boulevard de la Hague Boulevard de la Hague Rue de la Roselière La plage de Querqueville La plage de Querqueville La plage de Querqueville La plage de Querqueville La plage de Querqueville

This last photo was taken by a friend of mine who lives in Sideville near Cherbourg where the snowfall was even greater than in Querqueville.  They lost electricity and had difficulty heating their house during the recent storm.  There's been no bus service since Thursday morning and no one is sure when it will begin again.  I've missed French class and my teacher hasn't made it in either due to the terrible state of the roads.  We're just not prepared for weather like this in La Manche. 

I recently came across some old postcards of Querqueville at the braderie in Cherbourg, Saturday July 2nd.  I thought it would be unique to show some past and present photos so we can compare the changes that have occurred over time.  It's amazing how much still exists from the pre-war era.

Rue de la plage...

Monument aux Morts de Querqueville...

Église et Chapelle Saint-Germain...

Last night we had snow in Querqueville!  Sadly, it won't last very long since the temperatures are high and it is melting.  My friend who works at the La Hague Reprocessing Plant couldn't leave work until 7:30PM. 

The journey home was full of car accidents and people were encouraged to stay at work until they were told that the road was clear.  He didn't make it home until 9:00PM ! 

Did anyone else have a problem last night with the snow?  It seems that La Manche is not prepared for snow.  When it begins to fall, schools are closed, roads are blocked and everyone waits until the thaw.