Coutances The Cathedral of Notre-Dame of Coutances

Bishop Geoffrey de Montbray built a Romanesque cathedral at Coutances in the eleventh century, with gifts from the Norman lords of Hauteville who had conquered southern Italy. In the thirteenth century it was rebuilt in Gothic style around the old walls, and it is counted among the finest works of Norman Gothic, with two slender towers on its west front.

Its octagonal lantern tower over the crossing rises about 135 feet inside, and lights the whole center of the church. The upper galleries can be visited with a guide.

The cathedral is dedicated to Our Lady. Against the northeast pillar of the choir stands a life-size Virgin and Child in white marble, given in the early fourteenth century, probably by Bishop Guillaume de Thieuville (1315–1345). It was sold at the Revolution, and the buyer gave it to the parish of Saint-Nicolas in Coutances, where it stayed about 150 years. After the first bombing of June 1944, Canon André Fauvel hid it in the cellars of the seminary, and it returned to the cathedral after the Liberation. A painted stone copy carved in the mid-nineteenth century by Canon Auguste Deligand stands in the Circata chapel. The cathedral came through the bombing of 1944, which damaged much of the town.

In the north transept, a window of the thirteenth century shows Saint George, Saint Blaise and Saint Thomas Becket. In the south ambulatory, the chapel of Saint Lô (Laud), a sixth-century bishop of Coutances, has a window showing him celebrating Mass, and the chapel of Saint Joseph has a wall painting of the Holy Trinity dated 1381. Tours of the upper parts, run by the town’s heritage service, climb from the choir through the roof timbers and up into the lantern tower. Children under ten are not admitted, and tours may be moved or canceled for religious services.

Further reading: Mont-Saint-Michel: A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Archangel’s Mount.

• The lantern towerSeen from below at the crossing, and from its galleries on a guided visit.
• The west frontTwo towers that can be seen from far across the countryside.
• The marble Virgin and ChildEarly fourteenth century, against the northeast pillar of the choir.
• The window of Saint Thomas BecketThirteenth century, in the north transept, with Saint George and Saint Blaise.
• The chapel of Saint LôIn the south ambulatory, with a window of the bishop celebrating Mass.

• Via ArchangeliThe Archangel’s Way, six daysDay III, Le Bec-Hellouin to Coutances · Day IV, Coutances to Avranches

About an hour and a quarter by road from Caen.

• AvranchesSaint-Gervais and the Scriptorial, about 25 miles as the crow flies
• Mont-Saint-MichelThe Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, about 29 miles as the crow flies
• BayeuxThe Cathedral of Notre-Dame of Bayeux, about 37 miles as the crow flies
• CaenThe City of Saint John Eudes, about 50 miles as the crow flies