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Origin and history

The church of Andoullé, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, was rebuilt in the mid-19th century under the impulse of the parish priest Jean-Baptiste Heslot, in a 14th century style. Consecrated on 21 March 1858, it marked the beginning of the reconstructions of churches in the region. Its stone arrow and balustrade were later modified, but its interior, with its elegant columns, arches and windows, retains remarkable majesty. The history of his parish dates back to 1125, when Hildebert confirmed his possession at the abbey of Évron, before successive transfers between abbeys and local chapters.

In 1444, the bishop of Mans annexed the cure of Andoullé to the prebend of the dean of Saint-Tugal of Laval, a decision validated by Pope Eugene IV in 1445. This meeting of the chapters of Montsûrs and Saint-Tugal reduced the number of prebends to eighteen, with Blaise Louvet, parish priest of Andoullé, who became dean of the chapter. For two centuries, the deans of Saint-Tugal accumulated the income of the cure without residing in it, delegating the desservance to vicars. This system, criticized for its lack of pastoral presence, was reformed in 1666 by the bishop of Le Mans, who established there a perpetual vicar priest, while maintaining the dean's rights.

Conflicts persisted between deans and priests, as evidenced by the trials of 1718 and subsequent years. The 1906 inventory, marked by opposition from the clergy and the faithful, was limited to a report. Closed in the 1990s for risk of collapse, the church was restored in the early 2000s: its stone arrow was replaced by a wooden and slate structure, and the choir paintings preserved. Reopened in 2009, it now welcomes the public again.

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