Notre-Dame du Cap Lihou Church (Notre-Dame du Cap Lihou)

This granite church crowns the Pointe du Roc in Granville's fortified upper town, with origins tracing to 1113 when fishermen reportedly found a Virgin Mary statue in their nets. The current structure was begun in 1440 by English forces using stone shipped from the Chausey Islands and evolved over four centuries, blending Flamboyant Gothic with later additions. Inside, visitors can admire classified 18th-century paintings, a 17th-century organ with 2,500 pipes, and modern stained glass windows by master artist Jacques Le Chevallier (1954-1978), replacing originals destroyed in 1944. The church houses the baptismal font where fashion designer Christian Dior was baptized in 1908. As an active parish, opening hours vary - check locally before visiting. Every last Sunday of July, the Grand Pardon de la Mer procession brings the 15th-century Virgin statue from the port to the church in a torchlit celebration.