The collegiate church of Saint-Martin, Angers

The collegiate church of Saint-Martin has been renowned since the 1830s, when archaeologists first noticed the alternating brick and limestone of its mighty crossing arches. Sold in 1796 and variously transformed into a store for firewood and a tobacco warehouse, the church fell into an increasingly sad state. In 1986, the department of Maine-et-Loire acquired Saint-Martin and embarked on an ambitious programme of research, evaluation and restoration, which was complete in the Spring of 2006. A major archaeological campaign has revealed the fascinating history of the site, and shown how, from the fifth century, three Early Christian churches succeeded one another. Numerous burials, notably in sarcophagi or slate coffins, testify to the church's funerary role. Later, a Carolingian church was built, which in turn was remodelled under Fulk Nerra, count of Anjou (987-1040), who was responsible for introducing a chapter of canons to Saint-Martin. The choir was rebuilt in the second half of the 12th century in an Angevin Gothic style, and a last late medieval renovation of the church was undertaken by King René around 1470.