Paris1972-Versailles2003

Once again looking back into my blog, I realised have couple pictures not included and they should. This is again on Angers , a wonderful city in the dept 49 of Maine et Loire and in the region Pays de la Loire of my belle France. There are some nice buildings here that should be mentioned fully and I take this opportunity to offer me and you this new post on the curiosities of Angers ,part III !! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

We love the tour Saint Aubin or tower located at Rue des Lices in city center old town The tower or tour Saint-Aubin is an old clock tower by the former abbey of Saint-Aubin , which was founded in the 7C, and which was dispersed during the French revolution. The bell tower of the Saint-Aubin abbey is less old than its adjoining abbey. It was erected in the 12C. It dominates the city of Angers from its 54 meters high. In the Middle Ages, the Saint-Aubin tower served as a watchtower. This tower alone formed a small fortress with loopholes and wells. Like other abbey towers from the same period, it was erected outside the abbey itself.

The Saint Aubin tower has a low groin-vaulted room on the ground floor and a very high room of almost 15 meters covered with a dome on pendentives with penetrating ribs. This room, widely lit and well vaulted, constituted the noble floor. Finally, crossed arches formed a square above the central oculus of the dome and served as support for the wooden belfry which supported the bells. It is assumed that a large masonry spire was planned at the top of the belfry but it was never built. On the other hand, four corner turrets with masonry spiers envelop the upper part of the tower. The abbey deteriorated significantly between 1792 and 1796 (during the French revolution) ,and then became the seat of the Prefecture in 1800, The church was demolished with the belfry, the campanile and the roof in order to clear the main courtyard. In the 1830s, the abbey enclosure was pierced by rue des Lices. The Saint-Aubin tower escaped demolition and was sold in 1822 to the plumber merchant Voisin, who transformed it into a hunting lead factory with responsibility for maintaining it for thirty years. The bell tower and the upper part of the corner turrets disappeared in 1823, probably during an unrealized project for a low-slope roof with an observatory platform. During the 19C, the belfry, the campanile and the roof were destroyed. In the first half of the 20C, it housed the Museum of Industry, then a meteorological observatory. Nowadays, it hosts temporary artistic exhibitions.

The City of Angers on the Tour Saint Aubin (see pdf file) : https://www.angers.fr/vivre-a-angers/culture/arts-graphiques-et-visuels/tour-saint-aubin/index.html

The collegiale church of Saint-Martin d’Angers is a former collegiate church located in the historic center,and is one of the best preserved Carolingian monuments in France and a testimony to fifteen centuries of architectural evolution. Its choir is notably a very fine example of the Angevin Gothic style. The collegiate church acquired by the department of Maine-et-Loire no 49 in 1986 is today a place for shows and visits. After 20 years of archaeological excavations and restoration work, it is today a real time machine. Its visit allows you to explore more than 2,000 years of history! From the construction of the first religious building in the 5C to recent work, all stages of construction, expansion and transformation can be observed. The adoption of this cross-shaped plan gives a whole new scale to the building, perhaps built by Saint Loup, bishop of Angers in the 7C. Today, the foundations of these first buildings are visible in the archaelogical crypt, The cultural programming of the Saint-Martin collegiate church invites you to discover the artistic creation of the moment and the exhibitions will immerse you in themes that are as diverse as they are exciting. Music, voices, dance, digital arts, literature, heritage… Art here is a whole story! The collegiate church is located at 23 rue Saint-Martin, as we came by car (see posts) the nearest and best public parking ,less than 10 minutes on foot is at Place du Ralliement,

The official Collegiale Saint Martin practical info: https://www.collegiale-saint-martin.fr/en/general-information

There you go folks, a nice historical architecturally stunning Angers , a walk here is sublime. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the curiosities of Angers, part III as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, andn many cheers to all !!!