Central nave and altar of church Abbatiale de la Trinite in Fecamp, France.

© Christine944/Getty Images/iStock

Abbatiale de la Ste-Trinité

Normandy


Built from 1175 to 1220 by Richard the Lionheart, towering Abbatiale de la Ste-Trinité was the most important pilgrimage site in Normandy until the construction of Mont St-Michel, thanks to the drops of Jesus’ blood that, legend has it, miraculously floated to Fécamp in the trunk of a fig tree, landing on a beach nearby. Across from the abbey are the remains of a fortified château built in the 10th and 11th centuries by the earliest dukes of Normandy.

The official story is that the drops of Jesus' blood were dispatched across the sea by the Pharisee Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who together prepared the body of Christ for burial.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Normandy attractions

1. Les Pêcheries

0.73 MILES

Fécamp’s new flagship museum is a terrific addition to town, situated in the middle of the harbour, 300m northwest of the tourist office and showcasing…

2. Plage de Fécamp

0.93 MILES

Fécamp’s 800m-long, smooth-pebble breezy beach stretches southward from the narrow channel connecting the port with the open sea. In July and August it's…

3. Cap Fagnet

1.01 MILES

The highest point on the Côte d’Albâtre, Cap Fagnet (110m) towers over Fécamp from the north, offering fantastic views up and down the coast. The site of…

4. Falaise d’Amont

8.32 MILES

To your right and along off to the northwest as you walk onto the beach, the cliff of Falaise d’Amont is dotted with reclining or tottering figures taking…

5. Falaise d’Aval

9.02 MILES

It's impossible to miss this cliff, as the shingle beach bends around off to the southwest, with its natural arch and solitary needle. You will spy…

6. Jardins Suspendus

21.72 MILES

The Jardins Suspendus (Hanging Gardens) is an old hilltop fortress transformed into a beautiful set of gardens, whose greenhouses and outdoor spaces…

7. Hôtel de ville du Havre

21.82 MILES

This colossal building, built in 1958 to replace one flattened by allied bombing in 1944, was designed by architects Auguste Perret – that great…

8. Appartement Témoin

21.97 MILES

Furnished in impeccable early-1950s style, this lovingly furnished bourgeois apartment can be visited on a one-hour guided tour that starts at 181 rue de…