Hôtellerie des Moines Benedictins de l'Abbaye de Jumièges

ie Benedictines Monks of Jumièges Abbey's hostelry

In the Xth century, the Monks were given Vimoutiers and

all its appurtenances ►donation of Vimoutiers

Their Prior would live in the : ►Prieuré de Crouttes

Vieux Couvent des Bénédictines

ie Benedictines's Ancient Convent.

This entrance still exists.

Founded in 1648 (...), Queen Mother Anne d'Autriche encouraged this House (...). The Convent was intended for best families with a school for poor.

Benedictines were dispossessed and the Convent sold out on March 11, 1794.

l'Hospice

Dr Labbé Pavillon - Dr Dentu Pavillon - the yard and the chaptel

rue Crestey.

The hospice was founded by l'abbé Crestey with the money that he gained from a lawsuit which opposed him to Protestantism in 1665.

Pierre Crestey did a lot to provide children with formal education and to help indigents.

School Notre-Dame/La Providence

The Convent sold out, the Nuns went on teaching at the

►the hospice founded by Mr Abbe Crestey until 1848,

then  the school moved a couple of times until it settled in this building.

Not damaged by the 1944 bombardements, however

 the Pilot-Club of Philadelphia offered Christmas gifts

to the pupils up to the seventies.

Ancienne Eglise notre-Dame

1st Church Notre Dame

fired in 1450 at the time when Dunois chased English conquerors from Normandy, this one was rebuilt in 1458 and wrecked in 1897.

► 1st Church Notre-Dame

► About two churches

"The revolf of Les Gautiers" 22-23 April 1589

During the French Wars of Religion, division generates bloody fights and civil war in the whole country as well as plunderings and numerous governmental taxes.  As soon as 1562, the protestant Huguenots, led by a descendant of Roger de Montgommery, burnt down the church of Le Sap.

The Reform does not affect Vimoutiers which remains catholic, but Protestants have care to settle as close as possible to churches and many temples are built in the surroundings, such as the one next to the church of Le Mesnil-Imbert (the temple of which l’abbe Pierre Crestey will later obtain the demolition by a lawsuit in 1665 ►Hospice of Vimoutiers).

Thus, on one hand the partisans of Henri IV* then Huguenot, led by the Duke of Montpensier and many lords of the area, on the other hand the Earl Charles de Cosse-Brissac and the catholic members of the League.

The revolt is to the utmost in 1589, and some 6000 peasants led by their chief Vaumartel join Cosse-Brissac. They used to meet in la Chapelle-Gautier, a village in the department of Eure, from where their nickname of "Gautiers".

During several fights, the troops of Vaumartel are dramatically defeated, Vaumartel perishes and Cosse-Boissac takes refuge in Falaise, abandoning the Gautiers which flee in direction of Vimoutiers.  Montpensier pursues the Gautiers in the Bruyeres de Crouptes, massacres a part of them and pursues the others up to Vimoutiers.

A thousand of rebels perished. However, The Duke touched by the fate of these poor people which misery had led to the revolt, made the survivors pledge not to revolt any longer against the King and sent them back to their plough.

Paris still resisting, Henri IV* abjured its Protestant faith in 1593, became thus the king Henri IV of France and signed, in 1598, the Edit of Nantes which recognized Catholicism as the official religion, authorizing Protestantism under conditions ... Since then, Henri IV is attributed these words :  "Paris is well worth a mass"

►French Wars of Religion

*Head of the House of Bourbons, not king of France yet but king of Navarre under the name of Henri III.

Eglise Notre-Dame de l'Assomption

The construction started in 1888 and the Church was blessed in 1897

Present-day "Notre-Dame de l'Assomption" withstood safely the bombardments, except a few damage such as the stained glasses and the parvis.

After the War, new lovely 

*

were manufactured by les Ateliers de Gabriel Loire

*website by schoolboys/girls of Vimoutiers

►2nd Churh Notre-Dame

► About two churches

►Sources and bibliography

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