Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel of the Genêteil, located in Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne, is a pure Romanesque building built between 1120 and 1130 by the Benedictines of the abbey of Saint-Nicolas d'Angers. It replaces a modest sanctuary erected in a field of junipers, bearing its name. Under the original name of Our Lady, she became the Church of the Trinity from 1750. Its architecture is distinguished by a nave of 27 meters, a transept and an apse choir, surmounted by a dome vault. The sober west façade is marked by flat buttresses and archvolts without ornaments.

Over the centuries, the chapel changed its function several times: a place of monastic worship, an annex to a communal college in the 18th century, and then barracks. In the 19th century, she briefly returned to a religious vocation before undergoing unfortunate restorations in the 1960s. Threatened by demolition in 1973, it was saved and classified as a historic monument in 1980. An archaeological excavation was conducted there in 1975, revealing elements of its medieval past.

Since 1997, the chapel has been home to a contemporary art centre run by Le Carré, the national scene of Château-Gontier. Labelled in 2003 by the Ministry of Culture, this centre programmes exhibitions in situ, finances the creation of works and conducts mediation actions. The stripped architecture of the nave, 27 meters long, inspires contemporary artists, welcoming paintings, sculptures, performances or installations. About four exhibitions are held annually, combining young talent and experienced artists.

The building has been owned by the municipality since its classification in 1980, which includes still visible wall paintings. Subsidized by the DRAC Pays de la Loire, the department of Mayenne and the city, the centre perpetuates a dual mission: to preserve a rare Romanesque heritage and to energize artistic creation in semi-rural environments. The chapel thus symbolizes the re-appropriation of a historic site at the service of contemporary culture.

External links