Chapelle Saint-Dominique - Varengeville-sur-Mer

The chapel of Saint-Dominique: the other jewel of Georges Braque

More discreet and less known to the general public than the church and its marine cemetery, the Saint-Dominique chapel in Varengeville-sur-Mer is nonetheless a historical and cultural gem.

Unlike the church and its maritime environment, the small chapel is nestled in lush greenery. It is in fact an old tithe barn which suffered the onslaught of the Revolution and which was restored at the initiative of Georges Braque in 1954.

The artist left his more intimate imprint there through three stained glass windows installed above the granite altar, but also through liturgical objects unearthed from artist friends.

Previously, Mass was celebrated there between All Saints' Day and Palm Sunday, today these celebrations are no longer exceptional. Historically, the first baptism which was celebrated in the building in 1959, was that of a nephew of Georges Braque!

The major work of this chapel is undoubtedly the triptych of stained glass windows created by the artist and designed by the master glassmaker Paul Bony. Georges Braque represented Saint Dominic on the road to holiness surrounded by two crucified serpents.

Other wonders are to be discovered there such as a magnificent wooden Christ from the 17th century, a wooden tabernacle representing a drawing by Braque, a statue of the Virgin from the 16th century which comes from a Cistercian abbey or a painting by the mystical painter. Maurice Denis representing an apparition of the Virgin.

The chapel alone is a fine example of local architecture with a construction made of Varengeville bricks, cut flint and sandstone.

Its wooden ceiling in the shape of a boat hull offers exceptional acoustics that many artists appreciate.