Eglise Notre Dame de la Paix / Church of Our Lady (Sainte-Mere-Eglise, Normandy)
N 49° 24.522 W 001° 18.976
30U E 622139 N 5474253
Beautiful Romanesque-Gothic Church of Our Lady (Eglise Notre Dame de la Paix), famous also thanks to events during D-Day, is the most interesting piece of medieval architecture in Sainte-Mere-Eglise...
Waymark Code: WM89WF
Location: Normandie, France
Date Posted: 02/24/2010
Views: 28
The Romanesque-Gothic Church of Our Lady (Eglise Notre Dame de la Paix) was built in XIth century. From this century originates still preserved church's Romanesque transept, the Gothic nave (and also portal and balustrade) is from XIV-XVth century. The choir stalls, pulpit and altar are from the XVIIIth century. Above the portal is a stained glass window depicting US paratroopers and airplanes around the Our Lady. The north transep't wing is illumined by stained glass window by a stained glass window donated by veterans of 505th Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Eglise Notre Dame de la Paix is famous thanks to events from WWII: In June 6th, 1944 (D-Day) at 04:30 AM the Stars & Stripes were hoisted over the church tower and St. Mère-Église was the first town to be liberated in France. And church tower itself was scene of famous story of one US paratrooper - private John Steele. His parachute was caught in the steeple of the church, leaving him hanging from its roof-top to witness the carnage. The wounded paratrooper hung there limply for 2 hours, pretending to be dead, before the Germans took him prisoner. John Steele later escaped from the Germans and rejoined his division. A life-size figurine of paratrooper hangs from the church spire, commemorating this story...