Saint-Gilles Church, Caen

The work on the church of the Abbey aux Dames began in 1062 and was completed in 1130. We start at the bedside, in the 11th century, then we add buttresses. On June 18, 1066, the dedication of the Abbey of the Trinity took place. Since 1865, the Trinity Church has served as a parish church following the transfer of the cult from the Saint-Gilles Church, which was abandoned and then destroyed during the bombardments preceding the liberation of Caen.

In the 12th century, the first Romanesque church was built. In the following century, the church was extended by six bays and ended with a flat chevet. A bell tower is also added. In the 14th century, the Romanesque nave was redone in a Gothic style. The facade was rebuilt and the bell tower was raised by the addition of an arrow. Later, in the 15th century, the collateral was enlarged as were the side chapels. The whole church is redesigned in a flamboyant Gothic style. At the end of the century, the flat chevet was replaced by an apse crowned by radiant chapels. In 1944, a shell fell on the bell tower collapsing on the nave.

The church is composite and displays elements from different periods. The nave and the side aisles date from the XIV century, while the choir and the chapels are from the XVI century.