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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Aubin de Trier, located in Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault en Maine-et-Loire, has its origins in the 11th century. The village, originally called Clementiniacus, belonged to Saint-Aubin d'Angers Abbey from the Carolingian era. In 1060, the church was integrated into the local castle, destroyed in 1068 by Foulques le Réchin, Count of Anjou. The latter rebuilt the castle before 1101 and gave it to Geoffroy Foulcrade, who in 1106 offered land to the abbey to erect a priory. A plaque dated 1172 on the choir wall suggests the completion of the church at this time.

In the 13th century, a bell tower was added to the Romanesque building. The side walls were reinforced in the 15th century, and the nave was covered with a frame cradle. The church houses the tomb of Robert Le Mason (1416–142), Baron of Trier and Chancellor of Charles VII, protector of Jeanne d'Arc. His epitaph, engraved on the spot, attests to his historic role. The parish was abolished in 1809, and the church, abandoned, was restored in 1860–65 by Bishop Maupoint, Bishop of Reunion from the village.

Ranked a historical monument in 1862, the church retains remarkable elements: a pophyry baptistery decorated with Roman masks, a flamboyant tabernacle of the 15th century, and a sober facade with broken arches. Damaged during World War II, it was restored. Its architecture combines Romanesque austerity with Gothic additions, such as the 13th century arcades and the bell tower's tuffle arrow. The site bears witness to the links between seigneurial power, religion and local history, from the Carolingian period to the Renaissance.

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