Église Saint-Pierre de Bébec

In the Seine valley, on the heights of Villequier, the church of Saint-Pierre de Bébec is the perfect example of a country church that can be discovered on a Sunday walk. This local heritage, which is the charm of our villages and contains many treasures, has been labeled "Rural Heritage" by the Department of Seine-Maritime in 2021.

It was during a walk with my friend Rachel that we discovered the Saint-Pierre de Bébec church, indicated by signs from Villequier.

The charm of the place conquered us immediately. Only the birdsong kept us company in the middle of all this greenery, it was magical. We learned on an information panel that the Saint-Pierre de Bébec church is a former parish of the deanery of Saint-Georges, attached to Villequier since September 3, 1823. We begin our visit quietly by the exterior to appreciate the bucolic setting of this timeless place. A very small cemetery adjoins the body of the church, and we are seduced by the large lawns on which the stone building seems to stand. The surrounding shrubs are pruned in topiary and the smell of freshly mown grass awakens memories. Rachel invites me to come and see the graves of the Protestant denominations, which are oriented in the opposite direction to the Catholic ones.
I see curious graffiti on the outside of the church: a gallows, a ladder, ships? No doubt in thanksgiving to Saint Peter, the patron saint of sailors? Indeed, the Seine is very close.

We walk around the chevet and exit the cemetery to enter the church. The tranquility and the spirituality of the place instantly give us an unsuspected well-being. A beautiful light highlights the pointed arch choir and then descends on the painted wooden altar. We look up at the vault of the nave. The polychrome wooden statues from the 17th century that inhabit the place are remarkable. We also discover Greek crosses painted on the walls, a life-size crib in the only chapel. So many details that challenge us, question us and delight us in their progressive discovery.

We have not seen the time pass and we must leave. Rachel tells me that it would be too stupid to go back like that. "And why not visit the Victor Hugo Museum on the banks of the Seine in Villequier? "Excellent idea, it's been years since I've been there and I've heard about a flower carpet in the garden. Spectacular it seems!" says Rachel.