Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Grâce de la Côte de Grâce

Équemauville (au-dessus de Honfleur)

Tradition relates that Richard II, Duke of Normandy, caught in a storm on his way back from England, promised the Virgin that he would raise sanctuaries if he reached land alive: the first chapel of the Côte de Grâce is said to have been built around 1023 in fulfilment of that vow. The collapse of the cliff in 1538 carried the building away, but the statue of Our Lady was reportedly found intact at the edge of the void, and the burghers and seamen of Honfleur rebuilt the chapel a little further back between 1600 and 1615. The place became the sanctuary of seafaring folk: no crew put to sea without climbing up to it, and the interior is crammed with model ships, paintings of shipwrecks and plaques of thanks offered as ex-votos. The registers kept by the Capuchins recorded cures of paralysis and eye complaints, rescues at sea, and above all cases of "respite" — stillborn children carried to the chapel in the hope of a breath long enough to allow baptism, a practice attested in many Norman sanctuaries. Samuel de Champlain is said to have prayed here before his crossings to Canada, and Thérèse of Lisieux and Napoleon Bonaparte are among the famous visitors cited by local tradition. On Whit Monday, the Fête des Marins (Seafarers' Festival) brings a procession up from the harbour, the children carrying model boats to the sanctuary. The statue was crowned in the 20th century in recognition, in the Roman formula, of "the antiquity of the pilgrimage and the abundance of graces granted in this place".

Patrimoine Normand — Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Grâce ↗

Getting there : From the old harbour of Honfleur, climb the Côte de Grâce (about 2 km, steep on foot; free car park near the Mont Joli viewpoint). The chapel is freely open and free of charge; it lies administratively in the commune of Équemauville, but the postal address and the signposting refer to Honfleur. Coordinates supplied by the Honfleur tourist office (point on the chapel esplanade).

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound