Chapelle Sainte Cécile

A beautiful little 12th-century church, Sainte Cécile, on a long GR path, has a long history dating back to Neolithic times. A peaceful place for walks, hikes and meditation, but also for celebrations and get-togethers during the various events.

The Chapel of Saint Cecilia is situated on a promontory rising sixty-three metres above the Loir Valley.
An exceptional and very ancient boxwood hedge, ninety-three metres long, surrounds the chapel and the two old cemeteries: one to the north, marked by an oak cross, and the children’s cemetery to the south.
In partnership with the local council, the non-profit organisation ‘Les Amis de Sainte-Cécile’ works to promote cultural activities and support the restoration of the chapel.
The two Romanesque windows on the north wall and the oculus above the main door, which have been reopened,
have been fitted with new stained-glass windows designed to harmonise with those already in the nave.
The ‘Door of the Dead’ on the north wall has been reopened onto the site of the former cemetery,
surrounded by boxwood.
This work was funded by the Regional Directorate for Cultural Affairs, departmental and regional grants, donations raised through a fundraising appeal to the
Fondation du Patrimoine, the prize received as a winner of the Fonds de soutien aux métiers d’art, and the contribution of the association ‘Les Amis de Sainte-Cécile’, thanks to the loyalty
of its members and donations collected at the end of concerts.
After many vicissitudes linked to the passage of time, the Revolution and maintenance difficulties, major restoration work became necessary: in 2005, an initial restoration of the roof structure and roofing of the north transept; then, in 2009 and 2010, a programme to make the building watertight and airtight was carried out under the direction of Marie Suzanne de Ponthaud,
Chief Architect of Historic Monuments.
In 2010 and 2011, two archaeological excavation campaigns led by Antoine Guicheteau and Guillaume Marie revealed traces of ‘funerary and domestic occupation from the Middle Ages to the present day’. (Excavation reports available on the association’s website).
The stained-glass windows in the south bays of the nave and transept, on the theme of ‘Gregorian-jazz’ music, were installed in 2018 (designed and created by Sylviane Monthulé, a visual artist, and Éric Boucher, a glass artist, Durtal, Maine-et-Loire). The interior restoration programme in
2024–2025, led by Léo Cany-Paris, a heritage architect, involved
close collaboration between the architect, the town hall, the association and the craftsmen and
artisans involved. Surveys of the walls to uncover the paintings hidden beneath the whitewash, carried out by Géraldine Fray in 2022, followed by restoration work by Angelo Strazzeri and then Benoit Tendero of the firm Arthema, led to the discovery and restoration of 12th- and 15th-century paintings, several coats of arms on a grey 15th–16th-century mourning frieze running the length of the nave, as well as recurring coats of arms on the 18th-century black frieze in the
transept.
The bell tower with its spire was added to the nave’s roof structure in the 17th century, supported by the internal buttress.
The three altarpieces were installed in the 18th century and listed in 1929. The Chapel of Sainte-Cécile was the parish church of the village of Sainte-Cécile, formerly part of the fief of Ourne. It was in 1807 that the village of Sainte-Cécile was attached to Flée by imperial decree.
In 1824 and 1930, the dilapidated chapel was saved from being sold off thanks to a petition from the villagers to the mayor and the prefect. In 1846 and 1885, work funded by donations was carried out to stabilise the church, which was in danger of collapse.
In 1872, a decree dated 24 October renamed the church the Sainte-Cécile emergency chapel.
Until the mid-20th century, a harvest festival and a pilgrimage to Saint Gilles – a statue of whom stands in the church – took place there every year.
In 1928, Suzanne Trocmé discovered fragments of 15th-century murals, painted in
ochre, in the nave: Saint Roch and, beneath him, a bishop holding a book, of which she made detailed records.
The intrados of the triumphal arch, decorated with a fresco depicting the Offering of Cain and Abel on either side of the hand of God, dates from the 12th century.
The chapel was listed as a Historic Monument on 21 December 1984.
The present building dates from the late 11th century, as evidenced in particular by the masonry and
the openings in the north wall of the nave, which are in the Romanesque style characteristic of rural churches
in the Maine region. The choir, with its flat apse, was built around the 14th or 15th century and
has been altered several times, as has the transept.
Since 2001, the association, ‘Les Amis de Sainte-Cécile’, whose aim is to contribute to the restoration and cultural activities of the chapel, has been organising a programme of events during the summer months, including concerts, group tours, exhibitions,
and open days during the European Heritage Days…
Information, history, itineraries, photos, videos, concert reports and updates on the restoration work can be found on the association’s website: https://www.chapellesaintececile-flee.net