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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Martin church, located in Saint-Martin-de-Connée in the Mayenne department (Pays de la Loire region), is a Catholic building built between the 14th and 15th centuries. It is now dependent on the parish of Blessed Jacques Burin en Coëvrons, attached to the diocese of Laval. Its architecture and furniture reflect a religious history rooted in the local territory, including characteristic elements of Mayan sacred art.

Ranked a historic monument in 1969, the church houses a remarkable furniture heritage, including three 17th-century altarpieces offered by Pierre Charlot, surgeon and factory attorney, and his wife Jaquine Mesnage. These altarpieces, typical of the Laval style, are decorated with terracotta paintings and statues, such as the Adoration des Bergers by Charles Dufresne de Postel. A fourth altarpiece, dedicated to the Virgin and dating back to 1781, completes this artistic ensemble.

The great Montais road, a historic axis linking Sillé-le-Guillaume to Mayenne, runs along the bedside of the church, highlighting its integration into the medieval landscape and communication networks. The retables, classified as early as 1910, as well as the building itself, bear witness to the cultural and religious richness of the region, marked by donations of local notables and a strong artisanal tradition, especially in pottery and sculpture.

The murals, painted panels and stained glass windows, although mentioned, are not detailed in the available sources. The church remains an active place of worship, managed by the municipality, and open to visit, illustrating the continuity between historical heritage and contemporary parish life.

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