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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Pierre de Chenillé-Changé, located in the village of Chenillé (Maine-et-Loire), finds its origins around the 10th century with the constitution of the parish. The oldest parts, dating from the early 11th century, form a rectangular nave with a flat bedside. In the 12th century, a narrower Romanesque choir with an apse was added. The building later became the property of the Toussaint d'Angers Abbey, although the exact date of the transfer remained unknown.

At the end of the 18th century, the church required repairs estimated at 2,000 pounds. Between 1788 and 1789 the Viscountess Achille de Rougé financed her restoration: four windows were pierced to illuminate the nave, the old openings were removed, and two sacristies were built on either side of the choir. The original bell tower, located between the nave and the choir, is replaced by a frame and slate bell tower. A new tabernacle, costing 500 pounds, is installed, and the building is covered with a arch in a crib.

In 1903 the Rougé family ordered stained glass for the four windows and replaced the high altar and the lateral altars. The wooden panel is then painted with false starry blue draperies. The church was listed as a historic monument in 1996. A restoration campaign, supported by the Fondation du Patrimoine to the tune of €4,000, is planned for 2013.

The architecture retains its original single-nave plan, with a narrow choir and a cul-de-four apse. The exterior features a fish edge apparatus, a rare technique also visible to the Pre-Roman church of Savennières. About fifteen crows carved on the upper part of the apse support a striped banded corbellation. Inside, the painted decoration of the early twentieth century is still visible.

The sources also mention roofing works in 1789 and a painted decoration of the late nineteenth century, although the latter date seems to contradict other historical elements. The building, owned by the commune, remains an architectural testimony of the transitions between the Romanesque and pre-Romanesque periods in Anjou.

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