Eglise (ancienne)
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise (ancienne), located in Vernantes (Maine-et-Loire), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Church
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Vernantes, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.3937, 0.0538
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00109400
A discreet stone sentinel in the Val d'Authion, the ancient church of Vernantes unfolds eight centuries of Anjou sacred architecture, from the primitive Romanesque to the sober classicism of the Grand Siècle.
History
Nestling in the heart of Anjou's bocage countryside, a few leagues from Saumur and its tufa vineyards, the former church of Vernantes is one of those rural buildings that condense, within their modest walls, the full depth of time. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1964, it bears witness to a religious and architectural continuity that is rare for a village of this size: four centuries of building campaigns have superimposed their own grammars on it, from Romanesque semi-circular arch to flamboyant Gothic infill, right through to the sober revivals of the 17th century. What makes this monument unique is precisely this stratification, which is visible to the naked eye. Unlike the great cathedrals whose remodelling has often erased previous traces, the ancient church of Vernantes has preserved its scars like so many pages in a stone book. The sturdy, compact foundations of the twelfth century sit side by side with the vertical spurs added in the thirteenth century, then with the later additions that adorn certain bays with a more ornamental vocabulary. The tour is aimed as much at lovers of medieval art as at walkers in search of silence and authenticity. The interior, bare and luminous, invites contemplation: the quality of the light filtering through the round-headed windows is one of the great pleasures of the visit. The uneven flagstone floor, the squat pillars and the broken barrel vault create an atmosphere of contemplation that successive restorations have managed to preserve. The church is set in an unspoilt village setting, surrounded by its parish enclosure, the remains of which bear witness to the importance of the medieval community. The region's blond tuffeau, the soft, luminous limestone that is the signature of the builders of Anjou, gives the whole structure a golden hue that is particularly photogenic in the low hours of the day.
Architecture
The former church at Vernantes is typical of rural parish churches in Anjou, with an elongated plan featuring a single nave or narrow side aisles, a chancel with a flat or polygonal chevet, and a bell tower on the west façade or at right angles to the transept. The walls are built of tuffeau, the local stone par excellence, quarried from the hillsides of the Saumur region and whose cream to golden hue is the hallmark of the Loire Valley. This soft, easy-to-cut material explains the finesse of the sculpted details, particularly the modillions and capitals of the Romanesque pillars still visible in the oldest part of the building. The exterior elevation clearly reveals the different building campaigns: the lower 12th-century courses are distinguished by their regular coursing and the narrowness of the round arched openings, while the upper sections have wider openings with pointed arches, typical of the 13th-century Gothic period in Anjou. The 15th century probably left its mark on the shape of the infill windows, whose moulded mullions contrast with the sober Romanesque style of the lower sections. Inside, the pointed barrel vault, a signature of the Angevin school, creates a harmonious covering over the main nave. The piers and pilasters still feature capitals with stylised plant decoration characteristic of the 12th century. Seventeenth-century interventions can be seen in the treatment of certain frames and in the sobriety of the late decoration, which contrasts with the dominant medieval expression.
Related Figures
Les seigneurs de Vernantes (XIIe-XIIIe siècles), commanditaires probables de la construction primitiveLes abbesses de Fontevraud, dont l'influence religieuse et artistique marqua toute la région angevine au Moyen ÂgeLes maîtres maçons angevins anonymes du XIIIe siècle, héritiers du style PlantagenêtLe curé desservant la paroisse au XVIIe siècle, initiateur des remaniements post-tridentinsLes inspecteurs des Monuments Historiques du XXe siècle, artisans de la reconnaissance et de la sauvegarde de l'édifice en 1964
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise (ancienne) located?
Eglise (ancienne) is located in Vernantes, Maine-et-Loire department, Pays de la Loire region, France.
When was Eglise (ancienne) built?
Eglise (ancienne) dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Eglise (ancienne) open to visitors?
Eglise (ancienne) is currently closed to visitors.