Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Sixte de La Chapelle-Rainsouin, located in the department of Mayenne in Pays de la Loire, is a building with various architectural influences: Romanesque (XII century), Renaissance (late 15th-early 16th century) and Neo-Gothic (XIX century). Originally a castral chapel surrounded by moat, it was first mentioned in 1125 under the name Ecclesia Sancti-Sixti de Capella. Its history is marked by successive enlargements, especially in the 15th and 16th centuries under the impetus of the family of the Chapel and of Arthur of Melun, which add funeral and seigneurial chapels, as well as a rich carved decor.

Between 1404 and 1525, René de la Chapelle, his son Olivier and his wife Arthure de Melun transformed the building profoundly. A funeral chapel (known as Montfroncher) is built to the north, accompanied by a lower chapel of the Sepulchre housing a polychrome sculpted group of La Mise au Tombeau (1522), unique in Mayenne. To the south, a seigneurial chapel dedicated to Saint Julien de Brioude is erected, vaulted with stone and decorated with sculptures attributed to Gervais Duval. These works reflect both the piety and prestige of this seigneurial lineage of Lower Maine.

The restoration carried out at the end of the 19th century by architect Louis Garnier introduces neo-Gothic elements, such as the square bell tower surmounted by an octagonal zinc arrow, an oriental facade re-enacted and gargoyles inspired by the Viollet-le-Duc style. Inside, the nave panels, the heraldic wall paintings (fleur de lilies, dolphins) and the stained glass windows signed Auguste Alleaume date from this period. The altarpieces of the 18th century, commissioned by Anne Leprestre, as well as the terracotta or limestone statues (saint Sixte, Saint Mammes, Virgin of Pitié) testify to the richness of the furniture, with more than twenty-three objects classified or inscribed.

The chapel of the Sepulchre, founded by Arthuse de Melun after his widowhood, houses an exceptional sculpted ensemble representing the Tomblay in eight real-sized figures, dated 1522. Donor faces could be represented, and the original polychromy, although restored, makes it a rare masterpiece. The northern chapel, known as Montfroncher, preserves two marble tombos d-Olivier de la Chapelle (died 1507) and d-Arthuse de Melun (1526), carved and attributed to Gervais Duval. These elements, combined with stained glass windows and retables, underline the heritage importance of the building.

Ranked a historical monument in 2005, the church illustrates the evolution of architectural and artistic styles in Anjou-Maine, from its Romanesque origins to 19th-century restorations. Its furniture, chapels and carved decorations make it a unique testimony of local religious art, marked by seigneurial sponsors and artisans like Gervais Duval. The transfer of the cemetery in 1819 and the inventory of 1906 also recall its anchoring in the community history of La Chapelle-Rainsouin.

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