Saint-Rémy Church

Discover Dieppe’s religious heritage at Saint-Rémy church. It was built in the 16th century, when Thomas Bouchard, the town’s alderman and parish treasurer, laid the first stone as a church fell into ruin at the foot of the castle hill. By 1545, the choir, ambulatory and chapels were under construction, but work was halted just a few years later. You may be aware that the reason for this setback was due to the renowned Wars of Religion. A series of eight civil conflicts between Catholics and Protestants, with several truces of varying lenght, and constantly divided the kingdom of France. In the early 17th century, work resumed and was finally completed in 1643. If you do the maths, you’ll realise that it took almost 100 years for Saint-Rémy Church to become a reality. As you might expect, in the meantime, the architectural style chosen for the building evolved. Renaissance features gave way to Baroque ones, and vice versa. Listed as a historic monument in 1910, Saint-Rémy church has undergone major restoration work since the 1990s. The results of this restoration work can be seen on the ironwork, ashlars and organ, as well as on the magnificent 17th-century altarpiece depicting the circumcision of Christ, sublimated by at least 16,000 gold leaves. Gargoyles have also been created or renovated both inside and out of the church by Morgan Roulland, a sculptor and stonemason from Normandy. Gradually, the Saint Rémy church became an outstanding example of safeguarded and protected heritage.