The original church dating from the 11th to 13th centuries was largely destroyed during WWII when it was bombed to repel German snipers who had entrenched themselves in the steeple. The modern stained glass window of the portal represents the air landing of American troops. The mannequin hanging from the end of his parachute hanging from the church spire recalls the tragic adventure of Private Steele, who was dropped on the night of June 6. For two hours, he pretended to be dead, while the alarm bells kept ringing below him.

Translated by

•

Willem VS

June 3, 2021

Cycling

The robust church building from the 11th to 13th centuries was destroyed during the war when it was shelled to repel German snipers who had entrenched themselves in the bell tower. The modern stained glass window in the portal depicts the airborne landing of the American troops. A doll on the spire recalls the tragic adventure of Private Steele, who was dropped on the night of June 6, but his parachute caught on the spire. For two hours he pretended to be dead, while the alarm bell rang continuously below him.

Translated by

•

🕊️ 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒓

July 20, 2020

Cycling

Historic church famous for its life-size WW II parachutist puppet hanging from its tower in memory of the adventurous events during the 1944 D-Day liberation struggle.
It also sports intricate medieval stained glass windows, though these take a backseat behind the focus on the puppet dangling in front ...

Nearby routes

Best routes near Sainte-Mère-l'Église

4.5

(6)

riders

1. Le Moulinet — loop from Sainte-Mére-Église

26.9km

01:33

110m

Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Easy

4.6

(5)

riders

2. Canal de Carentan – Ravalets Castle loop from Valognes

151km

09:08

800m

Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Hard

4.0

(9)

riders

3. Saint-Côme du Mont – Marais de Pommenauque loop from Houesville

27.7km

01:39

180m

Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Moderate

Details

Informations

Elevation 30 m

Weather

Friday 20 March

13°C

6°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 19.0 km/h

Most visited during

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

See nearby routes

Take Me There

Location: Sainte-Mère-Église, Cherbourg, Manche, France

Other Popular Places to Check Out

Mémorial de la division 101 Airborn

Monument de la 2ème DB

Le pont de la Barquette

Vue sur le Marais de la Chuque

Notre-Dame de Carentan

Port sur la Sinope

Batterie d'Azzeville

Vierge Noire de Ravenoville

Km 00 Voie de la liberté

Musée Airborne

Mémorial du major Richard D Winters

Point de vue sur La Grande Plaine

Sainte-Mère-l'Église

1. Le Moulinet — loop from Sainte-Mére-Église

2. Canal de Carentan – Ravalets Castle loop from Valognes

3. Saint-Côme du Mont – Marais de Pommenauque loop from Houesville

Other Popular Places to Check Out

Sign up or log in to keep exploring this route

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️