Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Aubin church of Saint-Aubin-du-Pavoil was originally located in a parish attested by the 11th century. This first place of worship, which became too small, was replaced in 1866 by a new church financed by the inhabitants of the village. This building, marked by its central role in community life, housed bells blessed in 1895 by Bishop François-Désiré Mathieu, then bishop of Angers. Its architecture and furniture reflected the local religious traditions of the time.

Over time, the lack of maintenance made the building unsafe, leading to its closure in 2007. Five years later, the city council of Segré-en-Anjou Bleu, the municipality that absorbed Saint-Aubin-du-Pavoil, decided to destroy it in 2013, at a cost of about 600,000 euros. Only the base of the original walls was preserved, while a new, more modest building was built in the choir of the old church. This decision marked the end of a heritage symbol, although some elements, such as the Jeanne-Marie bell, were preserved and exhibited, notably at Fontevraud Abbey in 2019.

The Jeanne-Marie bell, after its temporary exhibition in France, was finally transferred to Ethiopia, to Saint George's Cathedral in Addis Ababa. This transfer illustrates the singular destiny of certain liturgical objects, crossing local boundaries to acquire an international dimension. The history of this church, from its construction to its disappearance, bears witness to the challenges posed by the preservation of the rural heritage, between collective memory and material constraints.

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