ÉGLISE SAINT MARTIN

The commune of Daumeray is the result of the association of two parishes: DAUMERAY and ST GERMAIN. In the past, ST GERMAIN was the most important village. It formed a barony, of which the parish of DAUMERAY occupied essentially by monks was only a secondary dependence. The original building of the church of Saint Martin dates from the 11th century but the bell tower was built in the 18th century. The whole was struck by lightning in 1986 then restored. The exact date of the construction of the church of Daumeray is not known. But it was during the 11th century, around 1047, that the Lord of the Country gave it to the abbot of Marmoutier to redeem his sins after a duel. In reference to the monastery of Marmoutier, founded by St. Martin, it was named: Church of St. Martin. However, it should be noted that the church of Daumeray is also dedicated to St. Eloi, patron saint of Charlemagne. The present church has a single nave from the 11th century in Romanesque style, and the choir is in Gothic style. In fact, these two styles are due to the restoration undertaken by Monsieur le Curé Chevallier in 1881 and completed by Canon Baron. Canon Baron was the parish priest of Daumeray from January 5, 1895 to August 15, 1933. He was born in Cholet on January 16, 1856 and died in Cholet on November 22, 1936. It is believed that the church was damaged in January 1795, because the village was a valiantly defended stronghold during the Chouannerie. The Chouans attacked the village and the inhabitants took refuge in the church. The restoration was quite important, there were : The choir and the transept, formerly in Romanesque style, were restored in Gothic style. The gallery, to which pillars were added to support it. The vault of the nave was redone and repainted. The bell tower has changed its place. Plus the increases made by the Canon Baron: - The clock of the bell tower installed in 1895. - The monument of Mr. Chevallier, the main donor of the restoration of the church. His body was transferred from the cemetery to the transept of the church in the chapel of St. Joseph. At present, an artistic medallion in white marble surmounts the monument where the body of the parish priest Chevallier rests. Choir stalls and sacristy furniture. The Way of the Cross, offered by the vicar general Grellier on June 26, 1905. Paintings and monument to the dead. In 1904 the chapel of the Holy Virgin was decorated, then came the turn of the chapel of St. Joseph. Electricity: in 1916, the priest Baron installed electricity in the sanctuary and in the nave. Forty-nine lamps were installed in the chapel of Saint Mary. In 1918, ramps were installed above the stalls, and one hundred and twenty-four lamps were installed in the Sacred Heart. Ciboriums, exposition, statues, paintings, banners were donated by some people of the town. All these transformations undertaken by Canon Baron ended when he left Daumeray, after having founded the girls' school, now the Notre-Dame school, and the St. Joseph school for boys. The nave is only interesting because of its antiquity (11th century). The vault is made of wood and covered with paint. The present sacristy was built in 1884. There are no records of the stained glass windows in the nave. The stained glass windows of the choir and the transept were donated by the nobles of Daumeray after the restoration. The pulpit is from the time of the church but was modified during the restoration. The square base of the bell tower is antique. It has four floors: On the first floor there are two dormer windows. On the second floor there is a Romanesque arch formed by a double arch. On the third floor there is a double arch, On the 4th floor is the roof of the bell tower, which has four sides, each with a dormer window. The bell tower ends with a cross on the right and the famous rooster on the left. Until 1923 there was only one big bell called Martine. On September 15, 1923, two other lighter bells, Clotilde and Marie-Anne, were added to the bell tower. Today the church is part of the network of "open and welcoming churches of Anjou", which is run by four teams of volunteers (churches selected for their historical and architectural interest, this label guarantees the interest of their visit and facilitates the interpretation of the place, lighting of the building, musical background?)