Chapelle Saint-Aubin

Dating from the 11th century, the Saint-Aubin chapel is typical of Anjou Romanesque architecture. It is located near the banks of the Loire and the lime kilns of Montjean-sur-Loire.

This 11th-century chapel, listed as a Historic Monument, is typical of Anjou Romanesque architecture.

Destroyed by the Normans in the 11th century, it was rebuilt by Cordeliers monks from the priory of Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent. It was home to thatchers and quarrymen from the parish of Chateaupânne. Sold to a private individual during the French Revolution, it was used as a hay barn and fell into ruin. The last owner, Mr Pierre Loyau, gave the chapel to the "Société pour la Protection des Sites et des Monuments du Val de Loire" in 1991 under a 99-year long lease.

The wall of the west façade may date back to the 11th century. On this façade, a Romanesque portal gives access to a single nave measuring 16.40 m by 6.20 m. The rectangular choir is decorated with a 12th-century fresco depicting Christ.

The association for the protection of the sites and monuments of Montjean renovated the chapel with no fewer than forty volunteers. The first stage involved consolidating the walls, re-roofing and restoring the 12th-century murals. The windows were also restored by an exceptional master stained-glass artist, whose work includes the stained-glass windows in the Royal Chapel at the Château de Versailles.

> The chapel can be visited on request, either on a self-guided basis or as part of a 1-hour guided tour led by the president of the association for the protection of Montjean's sites and monuments. This is an opportunity to discover the history of the chapel and the work carried out to restore it.
> Photographs are on display in the chapel, showing the chapel before and after the restoration work carried out in 2018.