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Origin and history

The Saint-Fraimbault Chapel is part of the Saint-Georges Church of Saint-Georges-de-la-Couée, whose origins date back to the 11th century with a modest oratory enlarged in the 12th century. At that time, the walls were raised by 2 meters, the nave elongated by 12 meters, and an apse arched in cul-de-four was added. Wider Romanesque openings and carved capitals (representing blacksmiths, Daniel in the lion pit, and plant motifs) testify to this major transformation to accommodate a growing population.

In the 16th century, a two-span lateral chapel was built in the south, financed by the parishioners and the family of Clermont, local lords. This project, led by Jacques Coueffé (receiver general), Pierre Gigoul (procureur de la fabrique) and Pierre Ragueneau (priest), combines Gothic style and Renaissance ornamentations. A carved pendant bears the arms of Thomas of Clermont, and the chapel houses a Virgin with the Child made of wood (XIIIth–XIVth century) as well as a reliquary containing fragments of Saint Fraimbault.

The choir preserves 12th century columns, originally intended for a Romanesque vault finally rebuilt in the Renaissance (XVI century) with the arms of the Clermonts. The nave, purified, hides frescoes from the 15th to 16th centuries under its coating. Seventeenth-century statues (Saint Augustine, Saint Marguerite) and a terracotta group of 1597 (Saint Georges terrorizing the dragon), attributed to Matthew Dyonise's workshop, complete the decor. The chapel was classified as a historic monument in 1968, and its 16th century painting, restored in 2024, was bequeathed by Michelle Huguet, widow of a local lord.

Outside, the bell tower covered with chestnut shingles houses a bell offered in 1816 by the family of Montesquiou Fezensac, blessed under the name Clodoalde Eloide. The coats of arms of the Clermont d-Amboise, visible above the southern gate, recall their financial contribution. The building thus illustrates the architectural and religious evolution of the Sarthe, marked by the influence of seigneurial families and parish devotion.

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