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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Pierre-Saint-Jean-et-Saint-Paterne de Montrond, located in Neuville-près-Sées (Orne), finds its origins in a priory built around 1270, dependent on the abbey of Saint-Martin de Sées. Transformed into a parish church, it was abandoned by its service during the Revolution, which only returned in 1801. In 1802 the diocese merged its parish with that of Neuville-Près-Sées, and the building, which became private property in 1824 after a sale as a barn, was bought in 1826 by Pierre Simon Le Conte, owner of the marery of La Moisière. Since then, she has remained in the Forcinal and Bozo families, under the name "Chapelle de Montrond".

The abandoned church reveals wall paintings of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, discovered during works. These frescoes, representing apostles and a scene of resurrection of the dead, as well as elements such as a 16th century bell and the stained glass windows of François Rouan, led to its inscription in the inventory of historical monuments on 27 September 1979. The building, in rural style with a nave and a flat bedside surmounted by an arrow, illustrates the evolution of a place of worship in private heritage, while preserving medieval artistic traces.

Architecturally, the church consists of a nave and a choir finished with a flat bedside, with an arrow marking the separation between the two spaces. The wet wall paintings, covering the entire bedside, include silhouettes of apostles and a representation of the resurrection of the dead to the left of the window. These elements, combined with acoustic pots and a 16th century bell, underline its historical and artistic importance. The building, now privately owned, remains a rare testimony of Norman religious art of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.

The protection of the church and its murals, formalized in 1979, has preserved a fragile heritage. The works of safeguard have highlighted medieval artistic techniques, while sources such as Sacred Arts (2011) or the studies of Jean Fournée (1984) document his history. Although closed to worship, Montrond's chapel continues to fascinate with its heritage, between monastic memory and transformation into family property.

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