Construction of the chapel XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Chapel of the castle became collegiate.
1863
Construction of the bridge
Construction of the bridge 1863 (≈ 1863)
Direct access from the city.
début XIXe siècle
Transformation into a parish church
Transformation into a parish church début XIXe siècle (≈ 1904)
Replaces the old St Peter's church in ruins.
13 juillet 1907
First classification Historic Monument
First classification Historic Monument 13 juillet 1907 (≈ 1907)
Church protection.
28 février 2022
Extension of classification
Extension of classification 28 février 2022 (≈ 2022)
Includes stables and castle floors.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Parish Church: by decree of 13 July 1907; The old stables and attices of the castle, in full, as well as the soils of plots No 87, 89, 94, 297, 298, 362, 422, constituting the seat of the castle, including the fence wall bordering northeast side of Parcel No 87, shown in the cadastre section BI, as coloured and delimited in red on the plan annexed to the decree: classification by order of 28 February 2022
Key figures
Guillaume d'Harcourt - Lord and Founder
Associated with the funerary foundation (source: Noblet, 2023).
Origin and history
The parish church of Notre-Dame de Montreuil-Bellay, originally a castral chapel, was built in the 15th century in the enclosure of the castle. Transformed into a collegiate church under the name Notre-Dame, it was served by canons, reflecting its religious and seigneurial importance. Its status evolved at the beginning of the 19th century, when it became a parish church after the abandonment of the old St Peter's church, in ruins.
A bridge over the moat, built in 1863, allowed direct access to the church without crossing the courtyard of the castle, marking an adaptation of space to its public use. The nave preserves a liter of funeral at the arms of the lords of Montreuil-Bellay, a testimony of its noble origin. Ranked a Historical Monument in 1907, its protection was extended in 2022 to the adjacent elements of the castle.
The building illustrates the transition between feudal heritage (private chapel) and communal good (parochial church), while embodying medieval religious architecture. Its history is linked to that of the Château de Montreuil-Bellay, on which it originally depended, and to the family of Harcourt, mentioned in the archaeological studies as founder of the collegiate.
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