Saint Georges de Boscherville abbey
aerial view...

Back to the introduction to Saint Georges abbey

Overview of the eastern side of the Norman Roman abbey.

This site has been sacred ever since the 1st century BC. Although the current monuments, including 12th century Roman abbey church, are of major interest, the site illustrates the continuity of divine worship since Gallic times.

• In the 1st century BC: a first wooden temple in the Gallic tradition (“fanum”) was built on the hillsides of Boscherville.
• This temple was enlarged, rebuilt and then abandoned over the course of the 4th century.
• In the 7th century the ruins were converted into a Christian funeral chapel.
• • A collegiate church was built in 1050 and then demolished to make way for the Roman-style abbey church.

The remarkable gardens on the western side of the abbey.

The gardens offer a remarkable view over the chevet of the church. The architect has made remarkable use of the flat chevets of the side chapels, the domed shapes of the apsidioles, the vast rounded shape of the apse, which powerfully regulate the rows of arcatures, sculpted arching and tall half-columns.

There are clever indentations on the roofs. The imposing lantern tower gives the whole building strength and momentum. Behind it stretches the curtain of greenery which was once the marshes of the loop of the Seine.

This is one of the finest Roman chevets in France.