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Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame de Brissarthe, located in the department of Maine-et-Loire aux Hauts-d'Anjou, is a 11th and 12th century Romanesque building, with renovations in the 15th, 17th and 18th centuries. It was listed as a historical monument in 1965, as was its adjacent 18th-century presbytery. Its atypical architecture, marked by the absence of a right arm of transept and a bell tower rebuilt in the 18th century, reflects a complex history, mixing the use of merovingian stones and successive adaptations.

The present church appears to be built on the remains of a 9th century stone church, mentioned in medieval chronicles as a refuge at the Battle of Brissarthe in 866, where Robert the Fort, ancestor of the Capetians, found his death. Merovingian sarcophagi discovered around the building confirm its implantation on an old cemetery. The cartular of Saint-Serge d'Angers Abbey attests to its existence in 1162, when it was given to a priory who lasted until the Revolution.

In the 18th century, the bell tower, destroyed by lightning in 1730, was rebuilt thanks to the financing of Anne Amat, a parishioner. The interior houses an 18th-century Baroque altarpiece decorated with an Assumption of the Virgin painted by Jean-Baptiste Thonnesse in 1825, as well as a statue of Robert le Fort by David d'Angers. The benches, acquired by parishioners in 1805, testify to post-revolutionary community life. The building also bears the traces of the Vendée wars, with panelling burned during the clashes between Republicans and Chouans.

The presbytery, classified with the church, illustrates 18th century civil architecture with its elegant pilasters and prominent cornice. The archives mention two notable priests: Jean Jacquemard, builder of the current cure, and Claude Jacquemard, deputy to the National Assembly of 1789. The site also retains defensive elements, such as narrow evasive windows dating back to the 11th century, adapted to the needs of the Hundred Years War.

Medieval texts, notably those of Réginon de Prüm and the Annales de Saint-Bertin, describe the battle of 866 where the early church served as a fortress for the Normans and Bretons. These accounts highlight the strategic importance of the place from the Carolingian era. Today, the church combines architectural heritage, historical memories and archaeological traces, making it a major witness to the history of Angelvin.

Recent restorations, supported by the Pays de la Loire Region and the Fondation du Patrimoine, have preserved the roof and the altarpiece. A project to restore the Thonnesse painting is underway, highlighting the contemporary commitment to the preservation of this emblematic monument.

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