ÉGLISE ST SYMPHORIEN

ATTENTION: Access to the church is restricted to the central interior of the church. Built on the site of the former château burnt down by the Republicans in 1793, Saint-Symphorien church was built between 1958 and 1864 to plans by the architect Alfred-Edouard Heulin. Heulin died 1 year after its inauguration. Born in Champtoceaux, he was also responsible for the church in Freigné and the chapel of the Sisters of Mercy in Angers. Neo-Gothic in style, the church was originally intended to house a 50-metre spire. However, the soil of Montjean did not guarantee the necessary solidity for this project, which was abandoned. The vault is supported by 18 monolithic columns in pink granite from Saint-Macaire-en-Mauges. The choir is lit by three large stained glass windows, each with 18 four-lobed medallions illustrating the lives of Christ, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. On 7 June 1944, the day after the Allied landings in Normandy, the American army bombed the Montjean bridge, a German structure, in order to slow down the enemy. The stained glass window on the left of the church was destroyed and then rebuilt identically. The pulpit and altar were removed at the end of the 1960s. The latter was replaced by a sort of massive table in polished granite. At the foot of the building, completed in 1978, stands the presbytery. Today, this building houses the Montjean-sur-Loire town hall. Don’t leave here without taking in the panoramic views over the Loire Valley. Just a stone’s throw from the Loire à Vélo cycle route and the GR3, take a relaxing break to visit Montjean-sur-Loire.Home groups:yes