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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Martin du Lion-d Founded under the name of Martin de Vertou, evangelizer of the Nantes Country, it is given between 1010 and 1030 by treasurer Guy Aubry to Benedictine monks of the Abbey of Saint-Aubin d'Angers. An adjacent prioress is then built, testifying to his medieval religious importance.

In the 15th century, under the influence of King René d'Anjou and Saint Aubin Abbey, the church was enriched with murals, including a pictorial program depicting the Portation of the Cross with figures of suffering helping Christ, a rare theme inspired by a poem attributed to the Duke. These frescoes, rediscovered in 1852, also include scenes of martyrdom and a devil with seven faces symbolizing capital sins. A Gothic baptismal chapel and a 14th century window complete this medieval heritage.

The 19th century marked a major transformation: in the face of population growth (2,732 inhabitants in 1841), the decision was taken to enlarge the building. In 1875, the former Romanesque choir, judged "no interest", was destroyed to give way to an imposing neo-Gothic choir in tuffeau, designed by architect Duchoussay. The Moisseron d'Angers workshops produced liturgical furniture (stalls, ciborium, confessionals) in the same style, while two organs, signed Cavaillé-Coll and Debierre, were installed in 1883. The stained glass windows, entrusted to René Victor Livache, illustrate local saints such as Martin de Vertou.

The church suffered several hazards: in 1918, lightning destroyed the bell tower's arrow (rebuilt in 1997), and in 1972, arson aimed at murals. Classified as a Historical Monument in 1980 for its nave and frescoes (excluding the neogothic choir, only registered), it has recently restored (2004-2016). His organ Cavaillé-Coll, intact since 1883, and his murals, whose records are kept at the Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Angers, make it a unique testimony of the Angeline religious art.

King René d'Anjou (1409–80), patron and poet, plays a central role in the iconography of the church. His poem on the Portement de Croix, where marginalized figures (poor, sick, prisoners) help Christ, inspires the frescoes of the Lion-d-Angers and other angeline sites such as the Ponts-de-Cé. Although no painting is directly attributed to him, his artistic and spiritual influence has a lasting impact on the region, notably through his confessor Bernardin de Siena and his heir Jeanne de Laval.

Today, the church of St. Martin embodies the superposition of the epochs: the Romanesque sobriety of his nave in russard sandstone contrasts with the neo-Gothic exuberance of his choir. Its murals, stained glass windows by Livache, and its historical organ make it a medieval, reborn and post-revolutionary place of memory, reflecting the religious and social changes of Anjou throughout the centuries.

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