Dating from the second half of the XNUMXth century, the Sainte-Catherine church replaces an old stone church destroyed during the Hundred Years' War. It was built by the inhabitants of the city after the departure of the English. Having few resources, they used, as raw materials, wood from the Touques forest and their knowledge of shipbuilding.
It was built in several “campaigns”. The first dates from 1460 with the construction of the first nave, that of the North. With the demographic growth, a larger church became necessary with the construction, in 1496, of the second nave.
At the beginning of the 1879th century, the interior of the church received a plaster cladding and a neoclassical porch with Greek columns replaced the original porch. Major restoration work was undertaken from 1929, including the removal of the plaster coatings from the nave and the replacement of the Greek porch with the current porch in XNUMX.
Classified as a “Historic Monument” in 1879, it has attracted the attention of many archaeologists and historians: it is the largest church in France built in wood with a separate bell tower.
The bell tower, a sturdy oak construction, is built on the bell ringer's house. Annex of the Eugène Boudin Museum, it can be visited and presents religious works (sculptures, souvenirs of the Charities and the Notre-Dame de Grâce chapel).
The Faubourg des Marins
The Sainte-Catherine district is a real pleasure to explore… it has preserved all of its medieval architecture and its small cobbled streets. The names of its streets promise you a dive into the history of Honfleur: Rue de l'Homme de Bois, Rue des Lingots, Rue des Logettes, Rue des Capucins, Rue du Puits…
And of course the Rue Haute, which is the lowest in the city... and which offers a row of old shipowners' houses to admire.
Our advice: wander and lose yourself in its meanderings. There are plenty of lovely discoveries to be made, from old half-timbered houses to designer boutiques, Art Galeries, and a lot of restaurants...
The Church of the Seafarers
Saint Catherine is the church of sailors, it is the place of all the ceremonies and blessings of the sea. In particular on the occasion of Sailor's Day, every Pentecost weekend. The church is, on this occasion, packed with people, people rush to sit in its two naves, magnificently decorated in the colors of sailors.
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