Claville-Motteville

Undated black-and-white photograph; the cross has since been re-erected opposite the junction.

At the vital junction where the roads from the Church, Cailly, Clères, and Capendu converge, stands the Claville-Motteville Calvary. Originally situated on a small public square opposite the town hall and the former girls' school, this wooden monument serves as an essential historical and spiritual landmark for the community.

An Edifice Born of Popular Piety

 The history of this Calvary began during the ministry of Father Capron, the local parish priest between 1834 and 1837. Its construction cost 500 francs, a sum covered by a subscription of which no record appears in the official registers of the Vestry (Fabrique). However, the original structure proved fragile: as early as 1838, severe frosts or a construction defect forced the parish to undertake repairs. It was the new lord of the manor, Mr Frédéric Letellier, who advanced the 200 francs required for this first restoration.

The 1852 Vow and the Major Restorations

 A significant event transformed the Calvary in 1852. To honour a vow made by Jacques Carpentier, his son Frédéric and his son-in-law Mr Vassier gifted a new monument to the village. The blessing of the Christ figure was celebrated with great pomp by Father Motte, the priest of Saint-Gervais, accompanied by the twelve musicians of the Émulation Chrétienne.

Later, in 1867, Father Cerveau noted that the paint and gilding on the Christ figure had become worn by the years. He then launched an appeal to the inhabitants' generosity on Easter Tuesday. The success was immediate, and the work was entrusted to the skilled Siméon Brard.

An Undiminished Village Fervour

 On 8th September 1867, the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin, the restored Christ figure was solemnly replaced. A memorable procession brought together the inhabitants and neighbouring parishes. The Christ figure was carried on a flower-bedecked litter by young girls dressed in white, to the sound of hymns and bells. Father Baudet, the priest of Clères, delivered an address before a solemn crowd, marking the deep attachment of the people of Claville to their heritage.

In 1872, the structure again benefited from the care of the Letellier family, who repaired the monument's crumbling masonry base at their own expense. Today, this Calvary remains the silent witness to the vows and sacrifices of a rural community devoted to its protection.