ÉGLISE SAINT MARTIN

Church dedicated to Saint-Eloi, Charlemagne's patron saint.

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 mainly by monks, was only a secondary dependency.

The original building of Saint-Martin church dates back to the 11th century, but the bell tower was built in the 18th century. It was struck by lightning in 1986 and restored.

The exact date of construction of the church in Daumeray is not known. However, it was during the 11th century, around 1047, that the Seigneur du Pays donated the church to the abbot of Marmoutier, who had treated him after a duel, to atone for his sins.

In reference to the monastery of Marmoutier, founded by St Martin, it was named: Eglise de St Martin. However, it should be noted that the church in Daumeray is also dedicated to St Eloi, Charlemagne's patron saint.

The current church has a single 11th-century Romanesque nave and a Gothic choir.

In fact, these two styles are due to the restoration undertaken by Curé Chevallier in 1881 and completed by Canon Baron.

Canon Baron was Daumeray's parish priest from 5 January 1895 to 15 August 1933. He was born in Cholet on 16 January 1856 and died in Cholet on 22 November 1936.

It is thought that the church was damaged in January 1795, as the village was a valiantly defended stronghold throughout the Chouannerie. When the Chouans attacked the village, the inhabitants took refuge in the church.

Restoration work was fairly extensive, with :

The choir and transept, formerly in Romanesque style, restored in Gothic style.
The gallery, to which pillars were added to support it.
The nave vault was redone and repainted.
The bell tower has been moved.
Plus the additions made by Canon Baron:

- The bell tower clock installed in 1895.

- The monument to Monsieur Chevallier, the main donor for the restoration of the church. His body was transferred from the cemetery to the transept of the church in the chapel of St Joseph. Today, an artistic white marble medallion tops the monument where the body of Father Chevallier rests.

Choir stalls and sacristy furniture.
The Way of the Cross, donated by the Vicar General Grellier on 26 June 1905.
Paintings and war memorial. In 1904, the chapel of the Blessed Virgin was decorated, followed by the chapel of St Joseph.
Electricity: in 1916, Father Baron installed electricity in the sanctuary and nave. Forty-nine lamps were installed in the chapel of Sainte Marie. In 1918, railings were installed above the stalls, and one hundred and twenty-four lamps were installed in the Sacred Heart.
Ciboriums, displays, statues, paintings and banners were donated by local people.
All these transformations undertaken by Canon Baron were completed 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 interesting only for its antiquity (11th century). The vault is made of wood and covered in paint.

The current sacristy was built in 1884. There are no records of the stained glass windows in the nave. The stained glass windows in the choir and transept were donated after the restoration by the nobles of Daumeray. The pulpit dates back to the time of the church but was modified during the restoration.

With its square base, the bell tower is antique. It has four storeys:

The 1st floor has two dormer windows.

The 2nd floor has a Romanesque double arch.

A double arch is repeated on the 3rd,

The 4th is the bell tower roof, which has four sides, each with a dormer window. The bell tower ends with a cross on the right and the famous cockerel on the left.

Until 1923, there was only one large bell, named Martine. On 15 September 1923, two lighter bells, Clotilde and Marie-Anne, were added to the 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 that they are worth visiting and makes it easier to interpret the site, lighting the building, background music, etc.).