Donation of Queen Berengère 1216 (≈ 1216)
Presumed foundation of the commission.
XIIIe siècle
Initial construction
Initial construction XIIIe siècle (≈ 1350)
Period of foundation of the chapel.
2015
Registration Historic Monument
Registration Historic Monument 2015 (≈ 2015)
Official protection of the chapel.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The chapel Saint-Jean-Baptiste of the former preceptory of the Order of Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem, in full (cad. A 223, cf. plan annexed to the decree): inscription by decree of 19 January 2015
Key figures
Bérengère - Queen of Navarre and England
Suspected donor in 1216.
Origin and history
The chapel Saint-Jean-Baptiste is the last visible vestige of the former command of the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem in Thorée-les-Pins. Founded at the beginning of the 13th century, this commission would have been established thanks to a donation from Queen Berengère in 1216. Today, only the chapel, a bakery and troglodytic cellars remain, material traces of this medieval settlement.
The command office, like many establishments of the order of St John of Jerusalem, played a role both religious, hospitable and economic. Hospitallers welcomed pilgrims and travellers, while managing local land and resources. The chapel, protected since 2015, illustrates the religious architecture of this period, marked by transformations in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Classified as a Historical Monument, the Saint John Baptist Chapel is a rare testimony of the history of military and religious orders in Anjou. Its listing in 2015 underscores its heritage importance, although its exact location remains approximate (estimated at 7/10). The site, partially preserved, offers an overview of medieval structures still visible in the Pays de la Loire region.
