I was on my by now monthly road warrior trails of my belle France, I was out with my boys and my good dog Rex riding into the wonderful regions near me. This even if passed by before, is my first time in the town of La Fléche, full of architecture and history monuments , The town of La Flèche is located in the Sarthe department 72 in the Pays de la Loire region of my belle France , Therefore, here is my take on the La Providence of La Fléche !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The La Providence is a hospital building ;the headquarters of the religious congregation of the Daughters of the Holy Heart of Mary, founded in 1806 by Françoise Jamin. It is located between a branch of the Loir and the streets of Bourdigal and Beufferie , Françoise Jamin decided to devote her life to the care of the poor, the sick and the infirm. In 1806, she welcomed her first boarders into her house on rue de la Beufferie, and thus founded the religious congregation of the Daughters of the Holy Heart of Mary, known as Providence, of which she became the first Superior. In 1809, the rule of the congregation, strongly inspired by the rule of Saint Augustine, was approved by the Bishop of Le Mans. The sisters took vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and service to the poor. The statutes of the Congregation of Providence were not officially recognized until March 23, 1828, by a royal ordinance. A few months later, Françoise Jamin and the other sisters of the community took their solemn vows in the Church of Saint-Thomas (see post). After the death of Françoise Jamin in 1840, Providence continued its development, and even founded two new establishments, in Vendôme in 1846, and then in Mayenne in 1865. The premises of Providence now house a retirement home. A museum retracing the life of Françoise Jamin has been set up in part of the retirement home building.
In 1807, the Bishop of Le Mans gave the Sisters of Providence permission to have a choir and a chapel and to celebrate services there publicly. This first chapel, blessed in 1809, was used until its demolition and replacement by the current chapel built between 1845 and 1847, The body of Françoise Jamin was placed in the nuns’ choir on April 23, 1845, shortly after the reconstruction of the building. Located in the axis of the entrance porch, the nave of the chapel, in neo-Gothic style, comprises two bays covered with ribbed vaults and offers relatively modest dimensions:10 meters in length and 7 meters in width. Two paintings surmount the side altars: the Crowning with Thorns for the north altar and the Miracle of Saint Clare for the south altar. Murals were painted above three ribbed arches of the choir: the Coronation of the Virgin above the west arch, Françoise Jamin and the priest Pierre Delaroche at the bedside of a sick person above the north arch, as well as a Virgin of Mercy above the south arch. The columns, vaults and walls of the choir are also entirely painted. The eight columns that support the arches of the choir are decorated with the litanies of the Virgin, while the decoration of the vault symbolizes heaven, where eight angels are represented. The walls bear mainly religious decorations, but also plant decorations. Several relics are enclosed in the choir of the chapel. The relics of Saint Laurence, extracted from the catacombs of Rome, were sent by the Holy See to the Congregation of Providence on March 13, 1852. They are contained in a reliquary placed at the foot of the high altar, surrounded by statues of the four Evangelists. Fragments of the True Cross, held by the community since 1811, are preserved in a reliquary placed on the north side altar. This fragment, a gift from the foundress of the Congregation of the Incurables of Baugé, Anne de La Girouardière, is itself taken from a fragment that a crusader had brought back from the Holy Land in the 13C and deposited at the Abbey of La Boissière. When the abbey was suppressed in 1790, the fragment was entrusted to the Incurables. The choir of Providence comprises thirteen statues, including a polychrome terracotta statue known as the Virgin and Child, bearing the inscription “Avé Maria” on its base. Four statues of saints adorn the side walls of the choir, representing Saint Joseph, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Augustine. Under the galleries, there are four small statues representing the great prophets of the Old Testament: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.
A bit more on Françoise Jamin, She was born on March 1, 1773 and died on November 17, 1840 in Sainte-Colombe, near La Flèche , The eldest of a family of three children, she was sent to boarding school at the age of 12 with the Visitandines of La Flèche. Wishing to devote herself to the care and support of the poor and the sick, she stayed several times in the convent of the Hospitallers of Saint-Joseph. In 1806, she decided to welcome boarders into her family home on rue de la Beufferie: the congregation of the Daughters of the Holy Heart of Mary, known as Providence, was thus founded. Although very active from the early years, the congregation was only legally recognized by a royal ordinance of March 23, 1828. Superior of the congregation, Françoise Jamin devoted the rest of her life to the care of the sick and the poor. Her body was buried in the choir of the Chapel of Providence.
The town of La Fléche on its heritage : https://www.ville-lafleche.fr/loisirs/tourisme/patrimoine/
The town of La Fléche on its history: https://www.ville-lafleche.fr/la-ville/lhistoire/
The local Loir Valley tourist office on La Fléche : https://www.loir-valley.com/things-to-see-to-do/sites-to-visit/
There you go folks , a nice quant town worth a detour me think. The area is wonderfully located to visit other wonders of my belle France, Again ,hope you enjoy this post on the La Providence of La Fléche !!! as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 