Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of St Didier, dedicated to Archbishop Didier of Vienna, is mentioned for the first time in 1070 in the charter of the Saint-Florent Abbey of Saumur. Its bell tower, dating from the 12th century, is the oldest part, followed by the 14th century nave, the 15th century transept, and a five-sided apse remodeled in the 16th century. Until 1649, it coexisted with the church of the castle, the two parishes being reunited only in 1754. In 1852, an entrance porch was added, and the building was classified as a Historic Monument in 1931. Major restorations (carpent, roof, sacristy) took place between 2019 and 2022.

The architecture combines Gothic elements (voûts on dogives crosses, geminated bays of the bell tower) and Renaissance (porch, polygonal apse). The southern transept, formerly seigneurial chapel, is distinguished by its sandstone and 15th century stained glass windows. Among the classified furniture are two 15th-century gisters (rediscovered in 1998), a funerary slab by Marquis Joachim Le Mairat (1755), and a retable copied from a painting by Simon Vouet (1622), showing the links between the church and the local aristocracy.

The history of the church is marked by upheavals, such as the desecration of the church of the castle in 1649 during religious wars, or the plundering of its bells during the Revolution. In the 19th century, the confraternity of Sainte-Claire contributed to its restoration, while additions such as the porch (1851) or the octagonal arrow of the bell tower reflected stylistic changes. The task marks and armorial vault keys recall its anchoring in medieval and modern community life.

External links