The Lessay Abbeye Church...Normandy, France

The finest example of Romanesque architecture with a 1,OOO year history..built in the eleventh century and then...

invaded on June 17 1940, by German General Rommel's 7th Panzer Division, Lessay was occupied continuously for 4 years by German troops, many of whom were quartered in buildings at this ancient abbey.

But, like a large number of towns in Normandy, Lessay lived through its darkest hour in the summer if 1944 after the Allied invasion of June 6 when it was plunged into the heart of combat in the effort to liberate France.

On June 7 1944 the first American bombing destroyed the entire nothern district of the city, killing 11 civilians.  But the nearby abbey church was practically unscathed.  At about 8 a.m. the following morning, June 8, a second bombing raid completely wiped out a large part of the town...fortunately the inhabitants had fled the previous day.  The abbey church was more seriously hit in the second wave of bombing, but was still standing despite the damage.

More than a month later, on July 11, as the Allied forces were struggling to advance in the bloody "Battle of Hedges" (as depicted in the film "Saving Private Ryan"), German troops placed 25 anti-tank mines around the abbey church before retreating.  The church was razed  as a result of the explosions...much of the church  was completely destroyed...(photo #2).  Never in its long history had this prestigious  monument suffered such damage...and few people believed it could be restored.

However, thanks to the faith and determination of the citizens of Lessay reconstruction was planned immediately after the war..many of the ancient portions  of the church could be saved and the rest rebuilt based on previously created graphic documents.

Thankfully,...the  insanity and cruelty of war...whether during WW II or on September 11, 2001, is equalled and hopefully surpassed by man's hope to rebuild and create a future based on humanity..

The seemingly endless cycle of war..//..death..//..destruction..//..and rebuilding...

When will we ever learn?...

Photo #1 is a photo from the Lessay Library archives and depicts American soldiers digging through the rubble of Lessay.

Photo #2 shows the abbey upon the arrival of the American troops in July.

Photo #9 depitct the abbeye as it is today.

all other photos were taken August 2009...