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Origin and history

The church Saint-Pierre de Molières is a 12th-century Romanesque religious building, located in the hamlet of Molières, on the town of Chemaze in Mayenne. She is distinguished by her short nave, her narrow choir in vaulted hemicycle, and a tower with murderers. The frame bell tower, in the shape of a crushed pyramid, and the vault dug in the stonestone rock under the building, testify to its preserved medieval architecture. The interior houses a master altar decorated with statues of St.Peter and St.Julien, as well as a painting of the rosary, completed by two lateral altars dedicated to the Virgin and St.Sebastien.

The church retained notable furniture, such as a tabernacle acquired in 1696 by René Poisson from the Ursulines of Château-Gontier for 30 books, and a pulpit dating from 1771. A weekly mass was founded in 1650 thanks to a legacy of Renée Busson, wife of Jean Dezeré, illustrating the importance of the place in local religious life. Inscribed to historical monuments by order of 26 June 1989, the church now belongs to the commune of Chemazé and remains a major architectural and historical testimony of the Mayenne.

The structure of the building, with its choir and nave retaining their original Romanesque character, as well as its belfry in frame, reflects the construction techniques of the twelfth century. The site, built on a sandstone base, also incorporates a vault dug into the rock, adding to its mystery. Subsequent changes, such as the addition of the tabernacle in the 17th century or the chair in the 18th century, show a continuous evolution, while respecting the original integrity of the building.

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