The Church of Saint Catherine, one of the main attractions of Honfleur, is unique as it is the largest wooden church in France. The church itself is atypical for a temple: it is very long and consists of two naves. However, all the most interesting things are hidden behind the walls of the church.
The history of the temple dates back to the Hundred Years' War, the numerous hostilities of which destroyed the original stone temple.
After the end of the war, it was planned to build a similar church in its place. As all the stone had been used for the construction of the city fortifications, the temple was built of wood. However, the church made of oak logs with ship timbering turned out to be very well-built. The fact that the temple has stood for over 600 years is a weighty confirmation of its durability.
The construction was completed in the 15th century. However, by that time, a single-nave church was not enough for the city, so a second nave was built.
The bell tower of the Church of Saint Catherine was built separately from the church. There are several explanations for this: too heavy bells could destroy the building, or they could be easily hit by lightning, also causing damage to the wooden church. It is believed that the bell tower was created by the same craftsmen who had worked on the construction of the church.
However, all the most beautiful things are hidden inside the Church of Saint Catherine. The first thing parishioners and tourists see at the entrance is a neat Normandy portico, which replaced the traditional one in the 20th century. The peculiarity of the church roof in its similarity to the bottom of the ship made it possible to strengthen the wooden vaults. By the way, the vaults themselves are very similar to the underwater parts of the ship.
The altar is quite simple: it is made of wood and decorated with gilding. Both sides of the altar are adorned with wooden sculptures of two saints holding a palm branch: Saint Etienne and Saint Catherine.