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Origin and history

The Calvairian chapel, located in Mayenne on the right bank of the eponymous river, was built in the 17th century as part of a convent belonging to the Daughters of Calvary, a religious order founded in 1617 in Poitiers. Its construction, begun in 1626, stowed over two decades, marked by initial structural defects that delayed its consecration until 1655. The small convent was sold as a national good during the French Revolution and then converted into a college. Today only the chapel, part of the cloister, and the house of the chaplain remain.

The building underwent a major transformation in 1866, adopting a neo-Gothic style, before being converted into a preau in 1906. Restorations carried out from 1987 gave him his original appearance, highlighting his bossage façade, his oculus, and his unique liturgical plan with two choirs separated by a altarpiece. This tuffeau altarpiece, by Pierre Biardeau, originally housed a terracotta carved group representing a Descent of the Cross, now preserved in the church of Saint-Pierre de Parné-sur-Roc, replaced by a plaster copy since 1987.

Ranked a historical monument in 1967, the chapel illustrates the religious architecture of the Great Century, while embodying the upheavals of the Revolution and modern adaptations. Since 2000, it has hosted the contemporary art centre Le Kiosque, offering exhibitions of graphic design and current art, mixing heritage and creation. The remains of the convent, though partial, bear witness to the history of the Daughters of Calvary, whose rule required this particular spatial provision for their offices.

Historical sources also highlight the importance of the site in the Mayen religious landscape, marked by the presence of Mayenne and its role in local life. The chapel, owned by the commune, remains a hybrid place, both a memory of the past and a space dedicated to contemporary art, reflecting the cultural and architectural changes of the region.

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