Eglise du Vieil-Baugé
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise du Vieil-Baugé, located in Le Vieil-Baugé (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
- Le Vieil-Baugé, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.5317, -0.1195
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00109404
In the heart of Vieil-Baugé, this 11th-century Romanesque church with its 16th-century twisted bell tower conceals a rare architectural secret: its twisted spire, a late Gothic curiosity that is unique in Anjou.
History
Nestling in the peaceful market town of Vieil-Baugé, on the edge of the Maine-et-Loire department, the church of Vieil-Baugé is one of those discreet monuments that conceal, behind a modest façade, a wealth of historical and architectural interest of the highest order. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1973, it bears witness to almost ten centuries of Christian presence in this region of Anjou, between Baugeois and the Loir valley. What immediately sets this sanctuary apart from the multitude of rural churches in Maine-et-Loire is its twisted bell tower, with its polygonal spire twisted in on itself, a veritable signature in the landscape. This rare architectural phenomenon - sometimes attributed to the irregular drying of timber, sometimes to the deliberate choice of a master builder - can be found in a handful of buildings in the Pays de la Loire region, making Vieil-Baugé a particularly accomplished and well-preserved example. The interior is also full of surprises: the thick, solid 11th-century Romanesque walls still bear traces of the various building and embellishment campaigns that punctuated the life of the parish. Sixteenth-century alterations introduced elements of the flamboyant Gothic style, creating a subtle dialogue between the two great periods of French medieval construction. A visit to this church is a natural way to explore the Baugeois, an unspoilt rural area of Maine-et-Loire, rich in manor houses, priories and discreet châteaux. Vieil-Baugé itself retains the charm of the villages of Anjou, with its light-coloured tufa stone houses and shady lanes. The church stands like a stone lighthouse, visible from the paths that cross the surrounding bocage.
Architecture
The church of Vieil-Baugé has a simple longitudinal plan, typical of rural parish buildings in Anjou in the 11th century: a single nave extended by a slightly raised chancel, with no clear transept. The nave walls, around one metre thick, are built of local tuffeau - light-coloured lake limestone in cream and gold tones - cut into regular rubble and assembled with lime mortar. The original Romanesque windows, with simple splaying, were enlarged during the 16th-century alterations to bring more light into the nave. The most remarkable architectural feature is undoubtedly the twisted bell tower, added or altered in the 16th century. Resting on a square base of medieval masonry, it rises to an octagonal spire, the sides of which are covered in Anjou slate and visibly rotate about half a turn over the height of the spire. This twisting effect, achieved by a complex assembly of chestnut rafters and battens, is reinforced by the spiral layout of the slates, creating a striking visual effect that sets the bell tower apart from the Baugeois panorama. A few rare equivalents exist in the region - notably at Réchignac and in certain bell towers in the Perche region - but the one at Vieil-Baugé is considered to be one of the most distinctive. The interior retains a sober elegance: the 11th-century round arches coexist with the flamboyant Gothic ribs introduced into the choir in the 16th century. The furnishings, partially renewed in the modern and contemporary periods, include a few items of interest: an ancient baptismal font, fragments of a liturgical pool and traces of painted plaster on the apse walls, the remains of an iconographic programme that is now illegible but bears witness to the original decorative wealth of the building.
Related Figures
Foulques Nerra (972-1040), comte d'Anjou, grand bâtisseur dont le règne coïncide avec la fondation probable de l'égliseGeoffroy Plantagenêt (1113-1151), comte d'Anjou, sous lequel le Baugeois connaît une intense activité architecturale religieuseLes maîtres charpentiers angevins du XVIe siècle, artisans anonymes du clocher tors, héritiers des techniques de compagnonnage régionalRené d'Anjou (1409-1480), dit le Bon Roi René, dont le mécénat marqua profondément l'art et l'architecture angevins de la fin du Moyen ÂgeLes curés de la paroisse du Vieil-Baugé aux XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles, garants discrets de la transmission et de l'entretien du monument
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise du Vieil-Baugé located?
Eglise du Vieil-Baugé is located in Le Vieil-Baugé, Maine-et-Loire department, Pays de la Loire region, France.
When was Eglise du Vieil-Baugé built?
Eglise du Vieil-Baugé dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Eglise du Vieil-Baugé open to visitors?
Eglise du Vieil-Baugé is currently closed to visitors.