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Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Poison, located in the Mayenne department in Pays de la Loire, is a Catholic building dating back to at least the twelfth century. It was initially given to Bishop Ulger before undergoing major transformations in the 17th and 18th centuries. Its current architecture, in Latin cross with a nave, a transept and a choir, reflects these successive reconstructions, especially after the collapse of the nave in 1731, leaving intact only the choir and the bell tower.

The history of the church is marked by significant religious and social events. In 1616, a local lady demanded in her will to be buried in the building, among the "poor people". Bishop Henri Arnauld dedicated it in 1683, a date commemorated by a black marble plaque on the high altar. The latter, decorated with three niches representing Saint John the Baptist, Saint Peter and Saint Sebastian, also carries the arms of the house of Rohan, benefactor lords. The baptismal fonts and a marble bentier, offered by the parish priest in 1770, testify to his progressive enrichment.

The revolutionary troubles also affected Poison: in 1792 a band of 150 demagogues invaded the church and the presbytery, illustrating the tensions of the time. Later, in 1906, the inventory of church property led to clashes with the authorities, marked by the resistance of parishioners and the muscular intervention of gendarmes. These episodes reflect the central role of the building in community life, between worship, conflict and local memory.

The interior of the church preserves an apparent structure and a wooden vault on the choir, as well as three Lavallois altarpieces in tuffeau and marble from the 17th and 18th centuries. The bell tower, with a frame arrow, dominates the village at the crossing of departmental roads 10 and 128. These architectural elements, combined with its turbulent history, make the church an emblematic heritage of Mayenne, linked to faith, local craftsmanship and political upheavals.

The reconstruction of the church in the 18th century mobilized the inhabitants and decimators of the parish, including the religious of La Roë and the prior of Marigné-Peuton. Their petition of 1732 to the intendant emphasized the old age of the building, revealing the community's attachment to its place of worship. This collective project, despite the financial difficulties, leads to the current building, a symbol of resilience and village solidarity.

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