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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Toussaint College, also known as the Saint Andrew Chapel, was a major religious building located in Mortagne-au-Perche, Orne. Founded in 1202 by Mahaut de Bavaria, Countess du Perche, it occupied the present location of the court. The church, dedicated to all the saints, was served by a college of canons and designed to accommodate pilgrims, with a semi-entered crypt allowing a fluid circulation between the lower side.

The college was destroyed in 1796 during the French Revolution, with the exception of its 13th century Gothic crypt. The latter, divided by massive pillars, initially served as a passage for the faithful. A 17th century chapel, later added, is now the entrance. The crypt, classified as a historic monument in 1972, is located under the court building, Place du Tribunal, a few metres from Notre Dame Church.

The building reflects the religious and architectural history of the Perch, marked by the influence of local Counts and revolutionary transformations. The crypt, owned by the Orne department, bears witness to the past importance of this place of worship and pilgrimage, now reduced to an underground vestige accessible from the public square.

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