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Origin and history

The church Saint-Martin-de-Vertou de Grez-Neuville, located in the department of Maine-et-Loire in Pays de la Loire, is a religious building built from the 11th to the 18th century. Its atypical plan, oriented north-south, includes a simple nave from the early twelfth century, a semicircular choir from the late twelfth, and a square bell tower with a polygonal arrow. The materials used, red sandstone and shale, as well as the traces of reshaping (coated, masonry in fish edges), testify to its architectural evolution over centuries.

The oldest parts, nave and choir, suffered damage during the passages of the Leaguers around 1590 and Caesar de Vendôme in 1615. A first major restoration was carried out in 1679 by the architect Chantepie d'Angers, modifying trimmings and openings. The parish priest Vincent Constable then rearranged the choir with altars and altars commissioned by the sculptors Jean Simon father and son between 1697 and 1700. In the 19th century, the architect Dellêtre restored the triumphal arch and apse in 1839, while the painted frame (1863) and the bell tower arrow (1842) date from that period.

The building, inscribed in historical monuments in 1972, preserves remarkable elements such as a potentially broken arched door of the 13th century, a arch with cross-archs of the 12th century, and remodeled bays in the 17th and 19th centuries. The sacristy, built in the 17th century on the foundations of a seigneurial chapel dedicated to Saint Catherine, also illustrates its complex history. The traces of old windows, the inscriptions (ex. "1672") and the weapons of Saint Martin on a door key highlight the successive strata of his heritage.

The belfry, felt and surmounted by an octagonal arrow restored in 1842, could date from the 13th century, as evidenced by a murderous and sandstone door. The three altarpieces, commissioned at the end of the 17th century, as well as the chevron frame perhaps from the 15th century, painted with golden motifs, complete this architectural and furniture heritage. The church, a communal property, thus reflects almost eight centuries of religious and local history.

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