Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Pierre de Meigné, located in the commune of Doué-en-Anjou (formerly Meigné) in Maine-et-Loire, is a religious building dating back to the 11th century. Its nave, built in the second half of this century, bears witness to the early phases of Romanesque architecture in the region. The choir and span under bell tower, added at the beginning of the 12th century, reinforce this style, while the bell tower, erected in the 13th century, marks a transition to Gothic. The stone arrow, dated from the second half of the 16th century, illustrates an evolution towards more elaborate techniques.

The west facade, built in 1856 by architect Charles Joly-Leterme, and the nave reshuffles in 1874 by E. Roffay reflect the interventions of the nineteenth century, when many religious buildings were restored or modified to adapt to the liturgical or aesthetic needs of the era. The monumental decoration of the choir, dated 1722 and attributed to René Leroi, is a remarkable example of the baroque art of angelvin. The church, partially protected since 1974 (excluding the parts of the 19th century), belongs to the commune and remains a testimony of the different architectural periods that marked Anjou.

The inscription of the historic monuments in 1974 underscores the heritage value of the building, thus preserving key elements of its history, from its medieval foundations to its classical embellishments and modern restorations. The location of the church, in the heart of a territory marked by the extraction of stone (like the tufteau), could explain the use of local materials in its construction, although this hypothesis is not explicitly documented in available sources.

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