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Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame des Aulnes is a Catholic church located in La Chapelle-Launay, Loire-Atlantique, in the Pays de la Loire region. Built on a promontory above the Cure valley, it offers a dominant view of the Loire estuary. Its architecture, dating from the early years of the twentieth century, marks a return to classical art after the neo-Gothic excesses of the nineteenth century. The present building replaces two previous churches, bearing witness to a rich and turbulent local religious history.

The first church, mentioned in 1327, was the scene of a miracle attributed to Saint Yves: the healing of two clerics, one mute, the other feverish, commemorated by a stained glass window. The second church, built in 1711 and enlarged in 1825, was destroyed in 1903 to give way to the current building. The Sireuil stone bell tower, erected in 1977 by architect Lillo, replaces a wooden bell tower that has become dangerous. Inside, coats of arms recall the historical ties with the Dukes of Coislin, Brittany, France, Guérande, Nantes and Tours.

The stained glass windows, made in the 1950s by master glassmaker Yves Deshays under the direction of Abbé David, illustrate the major dates of the Church of France. A statue of the Virgin, Notre-Dame des Aulnes, could be at the origin of the name of the village. The parish of La Chapelle-Launay was historically dependent on the abbey of Marmoutier (Tours), as attested by the foal of the diocese of Nantes. Donations, such as those of the Gérard and Guénel families in 1818 or of the Ouisse lady in 1829, marked her financial history.

The church thus embodies an architectural, historical and spiritual heritage, reflecting artistic developments, local beliefs and feudal or ecclesiastical ties in the region. Its strategic location and decorative elements make it a privileged witness to the religious and social history of the Loire-Atlantique.

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