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Former church of Saint George of the Batignolles en Loire-Atlantique

Loire-Atlantique

Former church of Saint George of the Batignolles

    27 Avenue de la Gare de Saint-Joseph
    44300 Nantes
Laumouillé

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
1920
Construction of the first church
1924
Arrival of Abbé Guiho
1933-1935
Construction of the new church
Années 2000 (date non précisée)
Closure and conversion
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Key figures

Abbé Joseph Guiho - Parish priest and vicar general First head of the parish in 1924.
Famille Goüin - Founders of Batignolle Mills Finances the first church in 1920.
René Ménard et Maurice Ferré - Architects Design the new church (1933-1935).
Abbé Pierre Bouchaud - Artist Author of the fresco of the choir.

Origin and history

The former church of Saint George of the Batignolles, located in Nantes in the Nantes Erdre district, was built to meet the spiritual needs of the workers of the Batignolles Mills. In 1920, a first wooden church, financed by the Goüin family, was built at the corner of Boulevard des Batignolles and the current avenue de la Gare-de-Saint-Joseph. Father Joseph Guiho, the future vicar general, became his parish priest in 1924. Parish works were developed, such as a children's patronage (1921) and a holiday colony in Batz-sur-Mer, supported by the management of local factories and notables such as Robert de La Tullaye.

Between 1933 and 1935, a new red brick church, designed by architects René Ménard and Maurice Ferré (creators of the Sainte-Thérèse church in Nantes), replaced the original building. It serves three nearby working-class cities (La Halvêque, La Baratte, Le Ranzay) linked to the Batignolle Mills. A fresco by Abbé Pierre Bouchaud adorns his choir. Its architecture, typical of the industrial buildings of the period, combines simplicity and functionality, with a slate roof.

Closed for security reasons (risk of collapse due to its proximity to the peripheral boulevard), the church is disused for the benefit of a new place of worship homonymous. Renovated, it becomes the Studio Saint-Georges des Batignolles, hosting rehearsals and recordings for institutions such as the Angers-Nantes Opéra or the Theatre company for two hands. This cultural re-use partially preserves its heritage, while adapting to contemporary uses.

External links