Holy Cross Church (Église Sainte-Croix)

The Holy Cross Church (Église Sainte-Croix) is a remarkable Gothic church in Bernay, dating back to the 14th century. Construction began in 1374 after the original 13th-century church was destroyed during the Hundred Years' War, with the nave completed in the 15th century and the neoclassical portal added in 1724. The church houses exceptional treasures acquired from the prestigious Bec-Hellouin Abbey after the French Revolution, including a magnificent main altar designed by local artist Guillaume de La Tremblaye featuring eight jasper marble columns and a majestic baldachin with statues of the Holy Family. Visitors can admire sixteen life-sized statues of apostles and evangelists, 19th-century stained glass windows depicting Christ's life, a Renaissance organ case, and tombstones of abbots from Bec Abbey. The church is a protected Historic Monument since 1927 and offers free admission. Located in Bernay, a designated 'City of Art and History,' the church's impressive Flamboyant Gothic tower is visible from the town's outskirts.