Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The church Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption d'Alexain, located in the department of Mayenne in Pays de la Loire, was rebuilt between 1862 and 1864 under the impulse of the curé Foussard. The plans, designed by architect Lemesle, are inspired by the 13th century Gothic style, with a bell tower decorated with four distinctive frontons. This project marked a desire for modernization while abiding by a medieval heritage.

The building, composed of three naves, houses seventeen stained glass windows, including one representing the Virgin on a tree trunk surrounded by bees, a symbol of local devotion. On 8 March 1906, the inventory of the church's goods, carried out under tension, was marked by the muscular intervention of the gendarmes, as Abbé Angot recounts. This moment reflects the religious conflicts of the time.

The church also preserves remarkable elements such as confessionals and a pulpit carved by Blottier, as well as a relic: a piece of the beech where the statue of the Madonna was discovered. An ancient place of pilgrimage for the protection of swarms, it illustrates the link between spirituality and rural traditions, especially during the feast of Saint John.

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