Paris1972-Versailles2003

Here I was as usual in my road warrior trips having done my duty and more, and coming back home early. I finally got me into a new town in my belle France! Yes indeed, so many…! I have to admit passed by close to this town many times and never the time to stop by until now. Funny thing is, sorry to tell you, was looking for a place to eat! and we look up the gps and found several at a town further down in Agneau but having seen the signs for Saint Lô well decided this is the time to get to know it, and we did ,nicely.

So now this is my take on the town of Saint Lô, if you have seen the pictures you know this is WWII territory in the battle of Normandy!

Saint-Lô is located in the department of Manche no 50 and the Normandie region. Martyred city of  WWII, Saint-Lô was decorated with the Legion of Honor in 1948 and received the nickname “Capital of Ruins”, an expression popularized by Samuel Beckett.  It is 57 km from Caen, 78 km from Cherbourg-en-Cotentin and 119 km from Rennes. The national road N174 forms a link of the European road E03 and provides a direct link to Rennes and Southern Europe via the Guilberville interchange. The southern section now links Saint-Lô directly to the A84 highway/motorway, providing access to Caen and Rennes. The northern section provides access to Cherbourg and England via the national road N13. 

Saint-Lô train station is served by TER Normandie trains on the Caen to Rennes line. It is 3 hours from the St Lazare train station in Paris.  The local bus network SLAM bus you can find out more here as never done it as the trains: http://www.saint-lo-agglo.fr/slam-bus#overlay-context=transport-urbain-de-saint-l%25C3%25B4-agglo

For the intercity bus network and other forms of public transports the site for Normandie is commentjyvais in French here: https://www.commentjyvais.fr/fr/

The tourist office of the metro area of Saint Lô has more on public transports here: Tourist office of metro area of Saint Lô on public transports

A bit of history I like

The Bretons led by King Solomon, began to occupy the west coast of Cotentin from 836. In 889, the Vikings went up the Vire river and besieged Saint-Lô. Protected by solid ramparts built a century earlier by Charlemagne, the city did not surrender. The attackers then cut off the water supply, resulting in the surrender of the inhabitants. The Vikings massacred the inhabitants, including the bishop of Coutances, then razed the town.

The people of the region participated in the conquest of England. Henry I, Count of Cotentin and since King of England, had Saint-Lô fortified in 1090. The Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket went to Saint-Lô and a church was dedicated to him, of which no trace remains except the name of the rue Saint-Thomas (we ate there). In 1204, Saint-Lô submitted to Philippe Auguste and became French. After been in English hands, the French retake Saint-Lô on behalf of king Charles VII in 1449. The king confirming the status of Duchy of Normandy, it is the Duke of Brittany’s turn to want to occupy the Manche, but Saint-Lô victoriously repels an attack in 1467 by decimating part of the Breton troops locked up by surprise in the rue Torteron. In 1469, the ducal ring was broken and Normandy was definitively integrated into the kingdom of France.

In the 16C, Protestantism gained the Manche. Saint-Lô had a reformed church from 1555 and the first books printed were Protestant works. In 1574, the Norman Protestants made Saint-Lô their headquarters. The troops led by Marshal de Matignon besieged the city , rose to the assault ten days later and seize it a couple months later.

The French revolution of 1789 ,Saint-Lô took the Republican name of “rock of Liberty” and a tree was planted on the Champ-de-Mars. The city is relatively spared during the Terror regime and there are only a few clashes with the Chouans (rebels against the French revolution for king and God). The region suffered a significant rural exodus and loss of life during the War of 1870 and the Great War or WWI.

France was invaded in 1940 and the 7th Panzerdivision, commanded by Rommel, entered Normandy. The objective being the capture of the port of Cherbourg, the center of the Manche was spared and Saint-Lô will go on the night of June 17, 1940. In March 1943, the Nazis decide to dig an underground passage under the rock. For the time being, no one is able to say what would have been the use of this underground passage and that dug at the same time under the Institute d’Agneau.

During the Liberation, Saint-Lô suffered two attacks during the Battle of Normandy. The first is the bombardment of the city by the Americans on the night of June 6 to 7, 1944. The second is the fight for the liberation of Saint-Lô on July 17, during the battle of Saint-Lô. The city was this time bombarded by the Nazis who maintained their position in the south. The city will be destroyed at 90% and will be nicknamed “The Capital of Ruins”. It was Samuel Beckett who popularized this expression, in a poem from 1946. The Irish author indeed went through Saint-Lô in August 1944, where he helped found a hospital with the Irish Red Cross. After the war, Saint-Lô will obtain the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre 1939-1945, in June 2, 1948 with the citation “Chief town of the department of the Manche which has kept complete confidence in the destiny of the country . Underwent in the night of June 6 to 7, with heroic calm, an aerial bombardment to such a massive point that its inhabitants could consider themselves citizens of the capital of ruins.

There are some sites we just passed by that I like to include in this post and the one we stop on later post. Also ,our foodie stop where we encounter Saint Lô lol!

There is a library and a design school or Mediatheque et école de Dessin at Place du Champ de Mars . An interesting complex that, also, includes the musée des Beaux-Arts or Museum of Fine Arts all in the cultural center Jean Lurçat and all facing the Church of Sainte Croix or Holy Cross.

On the church square is erected the departmental monument in memory of the victims of the war in Algeria and Indochina, inaugurated in 2005.

They , also, have an interesting municipal theater or Théâtre Municipal Roger Ferdinand at Rue Octave Feuillet.  The first municipal theater was built in 1896 on the site of the old church of Saint-Thomas from the 17C, disused during the French revolution and transformed into a wheat market. The Italian theater style was destroyed in the bombings of June 6, 1944. At the time of reconstruction, the performance hall was built at the top of the hill and connected by a fire outlet to the Salvador-Allende village hall below. The complex was inaugurated in 1963 in the presence of Roger Ferdinand and his friend Marcel Pagnol where the play was performed “Three boys, one girl”. Roger Maurice Ferdinand, by his full name, had great popular success in the late 1940s and during the 1950s with his play Les J3. Several of his plays were screened and eight of them were performed on television, in the program Au théâtre ce soir, between 1966 and 1982. He chaired the Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers (SACD ) from 1946 to 1955 before directing from 1955 to 1967 the National Conservatory of Dramatic Art. The city of Saint Lô on the theater here: City of Saint Lô on the municipal theater

And yes we had our lunch/dinner mix time with friendly service, good prices, great food and pretty girls in Saint Lô at the Bistro 59 + (plus) this is an annex of the couple owner first restaurant just crossing the street at Bistro 59. 59 rue Saint-Thomas corner with 3-5 rue Torteron! right in city center!. We had our linguini and beef pasta, big juicy steaks, and carbonara pasta all wash down with a Domaine Terrebrune rosé from anjou just fine, and desserts of banofee or bananas and caramels that was awesome, and water as too hot for coffee all for 22€ per person! Excellent a spot found when passing by again and need to eat in the middle of the A84 highway just head for Saint Lô and the Bistro 59+! Their Facebook page is here: Facebook page of Bistro 59 + Saint Lô

Of course, we needed to get our baguettes, a must!!! and we wanted to go the back road quicker home so no city center passing, and of course decided to buy our breads here at the familiar La Mie Câline 3 Place de l’Hôtel de Ville in Saint Lô! Enjoy the baguette, tradition or moulé ok!

And I leave you another webpage that tells about the history of Saint Lô in French of course: City of Saint Lô on its history

The tourist office of dept 50 Manche on Saint Lô: Tourist office of dept 50 Manche on Saint Lô

And there you go adventures of a road warrior always something to marvel at my belle France. Saint Lô was a good experience and we will be back! Hope you enjoy the tour.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

Ok so one city is not enough on a nice road warrior trip. After doing my reverence to Honfleur, and knowing not far from this wonderful place that I have given much attention until now, knowing full well what is there but always just passing by well…Now read the wonderful story of Sainte Thérèse of Lisieux.

The Sainte-Thérèse Basilica is located in Lisieux, in Calvados dept 14 of Normandie. It was brought up in honor of Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus shortly after her canonization. An imposing neo-Byzantine style basilica inspired by the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre, its construction, on a height at the edge of the city, began in 1929 and its consecration took place in 1954. The city of Lisieux being the second place of pilgrimage in France after Lourdes with the third near me at Sainte Anne d’Auray.

Sainte Thérèse of Lisieux was beatified on April 29, 1923 and canonized on May 17, 1925 while four of her sisters, all nuns, were still alive. Devotion to the new saint, already manifested by the poilus or hairy (as the young French men were called) during the Great War or WWI, gained momentum from the year following her canonization. Faced with the growing number of pilgrims, it seems necessary to build a large basilica dedicated to pilgrimage in the city where she lived and where she died. Work began on September 30, 1929, the first stone being laid by Cardinal Charost, papal legate. The crypt was inaugurated in 1932. The basilica was solemnly blessed on July 11, 1937 at the end of the 11th National Eucharistic Congress by Cardinal Pacelli , papal legate and future Pius XII. On July 11, 1939, the monolithic cross was installed at the top of the dome. Work continued in slow motion between 1939 and 1944 because of WWII. The basic structure, which was completed before the war, suffered little damage during the bombings of June 1944 which destroyed two-thirds of Lisieux. It was probably spared thanks to its position on the edge of the town. After the war, the damage done to the basilica was repaired. The basilica was consecrated on July 11, 1954 by the Archbishop of Rouen and Primate of Normandy, Mgr Martin in the presence of the papal legate, the Archbishop of Paris Mgr Feltin.

The Sainte-Thérèse Basilica is preceded by a large square which leaves a free space of 76 meters wide in front of the staircase leading to its main entrance, the monument is on a hill, on the edge of the city which it dominates with its imposing mass. It is one of the largest churches built in the 20C. The entire sanctuary includes the actual basilica raised above a large underground crypt, the square dominated by a campanile separate from the church, a way of the cross established behind the apse and the service buildings linked to the pilgrimage.

It is a composite in style known as Romano-Byzantine, the architecture of the basilica is strongly inspired by that of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Paris. Given the nature of the soil, which is clayey to a thickness of 30 meters and its location on the slope of a hill, the foundations of the building rest on 130 cylindrical pillars of various diameters (from 1.4 m to 5 meters) reaching the level of the underlying limestone layer in order to establish its stability The basilica is in the shape of a Latin cross, with nave, chancel and a draft of a shallow transept. Above the crossing separating the nave from the choir rises the circular lantern tower resting on pendants and terminated by an imposing dome. Its elevation comprises a cylindrical drum, comprising a gallery and a row of windows furnished with stained glass, and the spherical dome. The drum is divided into eight sectors, each of which has three gallery arches and three tall windows. On either side of the main facade extend the two rectilinear wings in the form of cloister alleys, terminated at their end by two buildings surmounted by small domes. The one on the right houses a small oratory.

The interior volume is in one piece, without side aisles or ambulatory: due to the absence of columns, all the faithful who attend services have an unobstructed view. Most of the interior of the Sainte Thérèse Basilica is covered with mosaics. In the south transept, a monumental ciborium houses the reliquary offered by Pope Pius XI to the basilica. Located on a high plinth, the reliquary is separated from the public by a grid that isolates it. The glass walls open on each side of the chest reveal two bones of Thérèse’s right arm .

Above the domed vaulted apse is a large mosaic representing Christ as the Good Shepherd of a flock of sheep, surrounded on the left by the Virgin Mary crowned with stars and on the right by Sainte Thérèse kneeling. The two saints parted the sides of Christ’s mantle to allow the sheep to take shelter there. A triumphal arch marks the entrance to the choir. In the center appears the Eternal Father, his arms open in welcome. His figure is framed,   on the left by the Virgin and Child at the top of the tree of Jesse and on the right, Moses walking at the head of his people out of Egypt. On the vertical sides are depicted various scenes from the Old Testament in which angels come to bring divine help. The dome represents Sainte Thérèse crowned by Christ and her Holy mother, under the symbol of the Trinity. Below, eight angels support a garland of roses rained down by the saint. Between the level of the high windows and the circulation gallery, a frieze represents the Beatitudes, symbolized by saints who have personified them in an eminent way.

On the back of the western facade, above the portals, three large mosaic panels evoke the universality of the Teresian message. The central panel, the largest, represents Sainte Thérèse, whose glory shines on the Catholic Church symbolized by Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome; she is surrounded by four popes who honored her in a particular way: Pius X had designated Thérèse as “the greatest saint of modern times” and accelerated the introduction of the cause of her beatification, a cause opened on June 10, 1914. Long before his death; Benedict XV gave a remarkable speech on August 14, 1921, an authoritative exposition of Thérèse’s spiritual childhood path; Pius XI had great devotion to her and considered Thérèse to be “the star of her pontificate”; he proceeded to her beatification (April 29, 1923) then to his canonization (May 17, 1925) and proclaimed her patroness of the Missions (December 14, 1927); Pius XII declared her secondary patron of France on May 3, 1944. The left panel shows the faithful from the different provinces of France, with Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral (Thérèse is patron Saint of France). The right panel depicts faithful converts from the most distant countries (Thérèse is patroness of the Missions).

After the war, the rector of the basilica found an organ from the Cavaillé-Coll house which had been built in the 1930s and presented at the Universal Exhibition in Brussels in 1935. The places that could be used to install it were two stands located on both sides of the choir.

You can access the Crypt on either side of the large steps by stairs located under the side cloisters. Completed in 1932, it evokes the secret of Thérèse’s spiritual life. 50 meters long and 30 meters wide, it is decorated with marble and mosaics, in the style of the Decorative Arts Exhibition of 1925. In 1958, scenes representing the important moments in the life of Sainte Thérèse completed the mosaics: baptism, first communion, miraculous healing, commitment to religious life, death. Since 2008, the basilica’s crypt has held the reliquary of Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, parents of Sainte Thérèse.

Erected in the 1960s, the campanile was completed and inaugurated in 1975. It is separate from the main basilica and located at the southern end of the square. To rise to 95 meters and be surmounted by a lighthouse reduced to 40 meters and was never completely finished, priority having been given to charities, in particular to the construction of the Foyer des Malades (home of the sick), dedicated to the memory of Thérèse’s parents. It ends with a terrace surrounded by a balustrade and houses the 51 bells of the carillon. The flight bell is made up of 6 bells, the largest of which, the drone of about 9 tons, bears its bronze motto: “I sound the peoples’ call for unity in Love”. This carillon is of great sound quality. The campanile was offered by Belgium and the Netherlands as an ex-voto to Sainte Thérèse.

In the enclosure of the Stations of the Cross, two tombs frame the statue of Sainte Thérèse. They are those of the parents of the saint, Louis and Zélie Martin, who were exhumed on October 13, 1958 from the cemetery of Lisieux to be transferred to this place, on the occasion of their cause of beatification. Since September 2008, their remains have been transferred to a reliquary placed in the crypt of the basilica. Their graves nevertheless remain a place of meditation, especially since they were canonized on October 18, 2015.

Built in 2000, the Chapel of the Adoration, offered by Ireland as an ex-voto to Sainte Thérèse, is a privileged place of silent prayer. It is accessed through the crypt, the granite arches of which are found on the right wall of the chapel. The benches are those that were once known in the Carmelite chapel. The altar tabernacle is surmounted by the icon of the Trinity represented by three winged figures, according to Byzantine graphic tradition.

There is a Chapel ex-voto from the Catholic Dioscese of the United States as a thank you to Sainte Thérèse as well as a small museum of her life right next to the Crypt underneath.

Some webpages to help you plan your trip here and it is a must are

The city of Lisieux with its emblematic heritage: City of Lisieux main things to see

Official Catholic site for Sainte Thérèse de Lisieux: Basilica Sainte Thérèse de Lisieux

The tourist office of dept 14 Calvados on the Basilica Sainte Thérèse de Lisieux: Tourist office of dept 14 Calvados on the Basilica Sainte Thérèse

There you go folks, another wonderful huge monument of my belle France. It is a must to visit as the grandeur of the place alone will take you back! And of course, if you are a believer like me , than it is huge, wonderful experience as a second baptism! The Basilica of Sainte Thérèse of Lisieux! Hope you enjoy it as we did.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

And as said, having been in the area and seeing many familiar faces I dare took the plunge to really visit Lisieux instead of just passing by. As said, my belle France has an endless repertoire of monuments that a life time will not be enough. Let me tell you more on the Saint Peter’s Cathedral of Lisieux, in the dept 14 of Calvados, region of Normandie, in my belle France. Another dandy of Lisieux you should not missed!

The Cathédrale Saint-Pierre is in the Norman Gothic style. For a while it was the mother church of the diocese of Lisieux before its integration into the diocese of Bayeux and Lisieux. Sainte Thérèse was very familiar with the St Peter Cathedral. It was there that she attended Sunday mass with her father, sisters and housekeeper. A statue and an inscription in a chapel in the Choir recall the exact place where the family was placed during religious services. It was here that the future Saint had the revelation of her mission: to save the souls of sinners. Thérèse’s father, Louis Martin, offered the high altar for the choir. Since the 20C, Sainte Thérèse has been the cathedral’s third patron saint, after Peter and Paul. As such, it appears on one of the stained-glass windows at the back of the choir.

If the presence of a cathedral is supposed since the 6C, the church visible today was certainly built between 1160 and 1230, on the initiative of Bishop Arnoul. Which makes it one of the first Gothic churches in Normandy. The fairly austere nave is inspired by the Gothic style of Île-de-France while the last parts built in the 13C such as the chevet, the lantern tower or the western facade are in the Norman style.

The current cathedral is not the original monument. In 538, is cited by the first bishop of Lisieux, Theudobaudis (Thibaut). The presence of a bishop supposes from this time of the High Middle Ages the existence of a cathedral. Nothing is known of this early church. It was not until the 11C that mention was made of a cathedral since Bishop Herbert and then his successor Hugh of Eu proceeded to rebuild it. The expansion of the area of the church forced the destruction of part of the city wall. It is probably during this reconstruction that we discover the relics of several saints formerly venerated in the choir: Saint Ursin, Saint Patrice and Saint Berthevin.

The Saint Peters’ Cathedral is one of the oldest Gothic monuments in Normandy. Its reconstruction took place around 1160 or around 1170. The builders began to reconstruct the building starting from the nave. This is why this part of the cathedral has a rather harsh appearance: arches supported by large columns, a first floor of false galleries with thick moldings and a last level of high windows. The result is a fairly heavy and dark nave. This first part was completed shortly before 1183 as indicated by the dating of the framework made in modern times by a dendrochronological analysis of the pieces of wood. The rest of the church was probably completely completed in the first quarter of the 13C.

The former bishop of Beauvais, who became bishop of Lisieux, Pierre Cauchon , also made a point of making his mark in Lisieux even if he resided instead in Rouen or Paris. He rebuilt the Chapel of the Virgin,(behind the altar) and he is buried in the axial chapel of the choir, which he had built and where he still rests. Flamboyant in style, it is remarkable for its depth a bit over 17 meters and its nine large windows. Gothic attains its ideal there: the voids which outweigh the solids, the walls. Bishop Pierre Cauchon, whose name remains attached to the trial of Joan of Arc, was buried there in 1442.

Three towers dominate the building: the lantern tower, frequent in large Norman churches, and two facade towers. The slender northern one dates back to the 13C. Its neighbor was rebuilt between 1579 and 1600 after collapse. Ended by an arrow, it rises to 72 meters. Its style is difficult to define: Flamboyant Gothic with some Renaissance characters such as full-arched arches, fairly small openings, marked horizontality. Like many Norman churches, the external decoration of the cathedral of Lisieux is sober. For example, there are no carved statues on the facades of the portals. Only geometric patterns, foliage, small columns or arches animate the stone. Small sculpted faces are the only whimsical elements on the exterior.

The chapels, distributed from the north aisles. The second bay houses a statue of Saint Peter seated on his throne. Chapels starting from the narthex are: Chapel of the Annunciation. It contains the 18C confessional where Saint Thérèse received the Sacrament of Pardon; Chapel of Sainte-Germaine .It houses a statue of the saint from the 19C as well as an Annunciation, oil on canvas from the 18C; Chapel Notre-Dame de Lourdes . It contains the funerary slab of Jean le Neveu, dean of the 13C cathedral chapter, as well as a Presentation of Christ in the Temple, oil on canvas from the 18C; Chapel of the Sacred Heart. It contains an Apparition of the Sacred Heart to Blessed Marguerite-Marie, oil on canvas by Guérin from the 19C; Chapel Saint-Expedit. It houses a fresco of the saint as well as two oil paintings on canvas: The Birth of Christ from the 18C and The Virgin of Pity from the 17-18C; Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary. It received a paving from the Pré d’Auge and houses two oils on canvas: The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple of the 18C and Saint-Pierre healing the sick with his shadow, painted in 1770 by Jean-Baptiste Robin.

Chapels on the south aisle starting from the narthex are: the Baptismal font. It contains the marble baptismal font, a 19C Christ on the cross as well as The Preaching of Saint-Pierre, oil on canvas painted in 1770 by Larrieu; Chapel Saint-Paul. It houses an oil on canvas of Saint-Paul in front of the Areopagus, painted in 1770 by Jean-Jacques Lagrenée; Chapel Saint-Joseph . It has a statue of the saint made in 1884, as well as two oil paintings on canvas: Ecstasy of Saint-Jérôme, given in 1749 by a Lexovian canon and Death of Saint-Joseph from the 19C; Chapel of Remembrance. It hosts an engraving of the “True Effigy” of the Holy Face, given by Mr. Guérin, uncle of Sainte-Thérèse, and two oils on canvas: The Last Supper painted in 1785 by Descours fils and Sainte-Cécile by Philippe Guérin in 1804; Chapel Sainte-Anne. It houses a 19C statue of Saint Anne and the Virgin and two oils on canvas: Délivrance de Saint-Pierre, painted in 1770 by Jean-Joseph Taillasson and The Education of the Virgin from the 18C; Chapel of Notre-Dame du Perpétuel Secours. It contains two oils on canvas: Resurrection of Tabithe, painted in 1770 by Anicet Lemonnier and Apotheosis of Saint François de Sales from the 18C; Chapel Saint-Benoît. Sculpted columns from the pulpit of St Pierre Cathedral support the altar at the end of the 16C. It welcomes The Guardian Angel, an oil on canvas painted in 1875 by Édouard Krug; Chapel Notre-Dame du Carmel , former chapter room. It houses The Apotheosis of Saint Charles Borromeo, an oil on canvas from the 18C.

In the back of the Choir, the second level corresponds to a triforium. It is not openwork since there are no windows on the outside. The presence of this triforium confirms that the chevet belongs to the radiant Gothic style. The chevet participates in the Norman Gothic style. Very few stained-glass windows date back to the Middle Ages. The Saint Pierre Cathedral has a tribune organ and a choir organ. The tribune organ was built in 1871 by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. The choir organ was also built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in the 1870s.

The city of Lisieux and its most emblematic sites to see:City of Lisieux and its emblematic things to see

The Catholic webpage on Sainte Thérèse de Lisieux on the Cathedral St Peter: Catholic Webpage of Sainte Therese de Lisieux on the Cathedral St Peters

The tourist office of Dept 14 Calvados on the Cathédrale Saint Pierre: Tourist office dept 14 Calvados on the Cathedral St Peters’

The Friends of the Cathedral of St Peter for those wishing to help or to read in French more about it: the Friends of the Cathedral St Peter

And there you go folks, another masterpiece of architecture and history in nice Lisieux. You should not missed this Cathedral Saint Peter and you will be glad. Hope  you like the post as we did.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!