Saint Pierre de Bourgon Church en Mayenne

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Key figures

Origin and history

The church Saint-Pierre de Bourgon is a Catholic building located in the department of Mayenne, in the Pays de la Loire region. It is located precisely in the village, close to the departmental road 106 and near the border with Ille-et-Vilaine. This present monument, built at the beginning of the twentieth century, succeeds an ancient church described as a "sanctuaries on the cross and very pretty" by historian Pierre-François Davelu, with a choir with cut strips, a nave and two chapels forming transept.

The old church was closed and its bells removed by a decree of the departmental executive board dated 26 April 1793, in the revolutionary context. More than a century later, in 1903, the construction of the current building began, on the plans of architect Tessier. This project was carried out thanks to the resources mobilized by parish priest Bry, and the church was blessed on December 10, 1905. His survey, marked by tensions, took place on 14 March 1906, after a door was broken down during a second visit by the authorities.

The St. Peter's church is distinguished by its portal decorated with broken arched bays, typical of the Gothic Revival style in vogue at the time of its reconstruction. Inside, several elements attract attention: a marble baldachin supported by four columns, a tabernacle decorated with torso columns and sculptures depicting birds and lizards, as well as bas-relief panels illustrating evangelists and theological virtues. These details, noted by Abbé Angot, bear witness to an artistic and symbolic concern.

Historical sources include the works of Alphonse-Victor Angot and Ferdinand Gaugain, as well as the work La Mayenne de village à village de Gilbert Chaussis (1988), which documents the local and architectural history of this monument. The church is thus part of the religious and cultural heritage of Mayenne, reflecting both the upheavals of the Revolution and the artistic renewals of the early twentieth century.

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