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Origin and history

Église Saint-Martin de Fleurigné, located in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany, is a 17th-century Catholic religious building. It has been listed as a historical monument since 17 April 1931 and is distinguished by its sober classical architecture, mixing Gothic influences as a re-used door in arms. The building, in cornean bells with granite frames, adopts a Latin cross with an elegant octagonal bell tower and sacristies with bypassed domes.

Under the Ancien Régime, the parish of Fleurigné depended on the diocese of Rennes and was administered by a priory of Saint-Pierre de Rillé Abbey, dating back to the 12th century. After the Revolution, it was attached to the Dean of Fougères by the Concordat of 1801. Today, it belongs to the parish of Sainte-Thérèse du Bocage Fougerais, in the Archdiocese of Rennes. The church preserves 19th century stained glass windows, made by the workshop Lecomte and Colin, representing saints and edifying scenes.

The interior of the church houses six historic stained glass windows, four of which are offered by local families such as Le Bouteiller and the Treton de Vaujuas-Langan. These glass windows, dated 1879-1880, illustrate patron saints or notable episodes, such as Saint Martin's charity. The western facade, sober, bears the vintage 1769, while the cover, varied and elegant, combines croup roofs and domes with imperial, reflecting aesthetic research despite limited financial resources.

The building rises in the centre of the cemetery of Fleurigné, on a terrace surrounded by walls, accessible by degrees from the avenue de Bretagne. Its history is linked to that of the regular canons of St Augustine, who obtained rights over the vairie of Fleurigné in 1163, allowing the supervision of the parish community. The current construction, although mostly of the seventeenth century, incorporates older elements, reflecting an architectural and religious evolution.

The Church of St Martin illustrates the adaptation of Italianist forms to French architectural traditions, with a remarkable stylistic unit despite signs of budgetary constraints. The modillon cornice, interrupted between the nave and the choir, and the differences in stone finishing reveal a split construction. The bell tower, accessible by a pepper turret, and the 19th century stained glass windows underline its heritage and spiritual importance to the local community.

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