Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The municipal library of Alençon occupies a former Jesuit chapel, built between 1679 and 1708 for the college founded in 1620. This building, a rare example of baroque architecture in western France, moves away from the classic cannons of the Royal Academy of Architecture. Its wavy lines and curved profile make it a unique testimony of this period.

During the Revolution, the church was secularized and transformed: a floor divided the space, creating a library on the floor. The woodwork that adorns the latter comes from the Chartreuse Notre-Dame du Val-Dieu, probably carved by the Chartreux hermits. These elements, dated from the 18th century, as well as the original interior decorations, are still visible today.

In the 18th century, an extension was added on the south side to house a collection bequeathed to the city. The library's former fonds includes works from the Jesuit College and neighbouring abbeys (Saint-Evroult, La Trappe, Saint-Martin-de-Sées). In 1926, the site, now a media library, remained open to the public since 1803.

The monument also illustrates the turbulent history of ecclesiastical goods during the Revolution. The transformation of the church into a library reflects the political and cultural upheavals of the time, when the clergy's property was reassigned to public use. The woodwork of the Chartreuse, integrated after the dispersion of religious communities, symbolizes this heritage transfer.

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