L'église Saint-Martin

The village is home to the church of Saint-Martin, built in the 19th century under the patronage of Martin.

Evangelism

The region was evangelised in the 6th century by Saint Martin de Vertou (527-601), a monk sent by the Bishop of Nantes, Felix, to fight paganism in the south of the Loire.
According to tradition, the Pierre Saint-Martin (or Pierre Tremblante), a large slab of gneiss located on the bank of the Acheneau, served as a pulpit for Saint Martin to preach to the local population.

The parish of Cheix was founded in the 10th or 11th centuries.
The first church was built in the village of Chesiacum in the 11th or 12th century.
The building was modest in size, measuring around 15 by 5 metres, with walls barely 3 metres high.
The church is surrounded by a small cemetery.


A church that has undergone many changes

It was during the 12th century that the name of the patron saint of this first known church changed. Placed under the patronage of the local evangelist, Saint Martin de Vertou, he was replaced by Saint Martin of Tours (316-397), as in several other places in the Pays de Retz (as is the case in Chauvé).

When the Revolution came, the area was ruined.
Part of the village and the church of Cheix-en-Retz were destroyed by Republican troops in 1793.


In 1803, the church was restored. In 1833, the nave was extended, topped by a small bell tower (to accommodate a bell).
In 1852, the cemetery around the church was moved a little further and established in its present location.
In 1853, the baptistery, which has been preserved in the present church, was installed. But the church was too small, too low and unhealthy.
In 1856, on the initiative of the mayor at the time, Claude Camille Brillaud de Laujardière (owner of the Château de Bois-Corbeau), it was decided to rebuild and enlarge the church. The local people were to keep the old stones and reuse them for the new building.



Today's Saint-Martin church dates back to 1856. It was built to the plans of Nantes architect Joseph-Fleury Chenantais (1809-1868), who designed the former Palais de Justice in Nantes and the church of Notre-Dame de Bon-Secours in La Bernerie-en-Retz.
In neo-Romanesque style, it replaces the medieval building destroyed during the Revolution.


Remarkable features of the church

The pillars of the transept vault and the arches of the windows are made of alternating white stone and brick.
The granite font dates from the 12th century. It is one of the few remains of the 12th-century church.

The baptismal font dates from 1853. Comprising a marble basin and copper dome, it was purchased for the old church. It stands in a corner at the back of the church. The baptismal font is surrounded by an elaborate ironwork grille.

The choir window is the work of the Carmelite workshop. It dates from 1856.
It depicts three episodes from the life of Saint-Martin:


the saint's charity
the foundation of the monastery of Ligugé,
and the episcopate of Tours.


The banner, dating from 1856, is made of velvet and silk and bears the effigy of Saint Martin. It is used for processions.



The new church

The new church underwent its first repairs in 1931:


the roof and vault of the nave were redone.
New stained glass windows were installed.


In 1935, two new bells were added to the bell tower.

An internal restoration of the choir was undertaken in the 1960s (to adapt it to the new liturgies resulting from the Second Vatican Council).

In the 1980s, the work continued:


redoing the bell tower, whose spire was leaning;
internal restoration of the south gable;
tiling to be redone in its entirety;
the internal restoration of the transept.


But the church has suffered the ravages of time. A series of repair works is underway to enable the commune to safeguard this religious site.


The little extra :
You can see the church right in the centre of the village of Cheix-en-Retz if you combine your visit with a hike along the Pierre Tremblante trail.
Please note that the interior of the church is only accessible on Saturday mornings, from 10am to 11.30am, outside church services.

Sources: Emile Boutin (Histoire religieuse du Pays de Retz abbayes, prieurés, paroisses, published by SILOE in 1999), Le Patrimoine des communes de la Loire Atlantique (published by FLOHIC in 1999).