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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame du Puy-Notre-Dame, located in the department of Maine-et-Loire, finds its origins in the 11th century. Between 1077 and 1123, William IX of Aquitaine gave the church to the abbey of Saint-Jean de Montierneuf de Poitiers, dependent on Cluny. A papal bubble of Calixte II in 1123 confirms this possession under the name ecclesia Sancte Mariae de Puteo. The present building, in an angeline Gothic style, replaces a first Romanesque building with remains, such as a walled door and the first two spans of the northern collateral. Its construction spread over two countrysides: the first at the end of the 12th century (abside, transept, partial nave), the second half a century later.

The church houses a major relic, the Holy Belt of the Virgin, attested from 1391. In the 15th century, Louis XI erected the church as a collegiate church by letters patent (1481), a decision confirmed by Pope Sixtus IV (1483) and Alexander VI (1493) despite protests. The wars of Religion (1562–98) marked its history: looting by the Huguenots, sheltering the relic, and partial reconstruction (jube in 1596, organ in 1627). The bell tower and sacristy were added in the 15th century, while later restorations, such as those of Charles Joly-Leterme, preserved his heritage.

Architecturally, Notre-Dame illustrates the Gothic Angelvin with a nave with three ships of the same height, ivy vaults, and hooked capitals. Its historiated vault keys and blind archatures are inspired by the Cathedral of Poitiers, with local peculiarities such as statuettes on the diaphragm walls. Ranked a historic monument in 1862, the church also preserves remarkable furniture, including 16th-century stalls combining Gothic and Renaissance styles, partially dispersed at Montreuil-Bellay Castle.

The pilgrimage linked to the Holy Belt, documented since the Middle Ages, attracts the faithful despite historical tumults. Written sources, such as papal bubbles or local chronicles (Abbé Bédouët, 1868), highlight his spiritual and cultural role in Anjou. Today, the building bears witness to both clunisian influence, religious conflicts, and regional Gothic art, while remaining a place of active devotion.

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