Sailors' Chapel
About Sailors' Chapel
The Sailors' Chapel is a Romanesque structure dating from the 11th-12th centuries, originally the parish church of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue. Only the vaulted choir and circular apse remain after the nave was demolished in 1864 to make way for a cannon battery. The white-painted apse once served as a navigation landmark for fishermen returning to port. Since the 1960s, the chapel has been dedicated to sailors lost at sea, with memorial plaques covering the walls honoring local fishermen who never returned. Inside, visitors find a 16th-century polychrome statue of Saint Vaast, stained glass windows by artist Jupille, and a statue of Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice (Our Lady Help of Christians). The chapel hosts an annual Mass for the Lost at Sea each February and the Blessing of the Sea ceremony every ten years. Registered as a Historic Monument in 1952, it stands at the entrance to the main jetty near the Vauban Tower.
Interesting Facts
A Maltese cross carved on one of the northern buttresses recalls the nearby former Templar commandery of Valcanville, suggesting medieval connections between the chapel and the Knights Templar order that once operated in the Cotentin peninsula.
The oldest memorial plaque in the chapel commemorates the eight crew members of the fishing vessel 'l'Edwige' who disappeared in 1960. This marked the beginning of the chapel's transformation into a dedicated memorial for sailors lost at sea.
Around 1704, a fortification with seven cannons was built around the church cemetery to defend against potential English attacks. This military addition preceded the major 1864 demolition that would reduce the church to just its choir and apse.
Planning Your Visit
Opening Hours
Location & Practical Info
Address
Place du Général Leclerc, 50550 Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, France
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