The best road cycling routes around Saint-Didier

Unusual dimensions for a dolmen. I visited it on a weekday and had the site all to myself. Truly impressive. Also worth seeing is the chestnut tree at the entrance, which tried - but apparently failed - to swallow a megalith at the entrance to the dolmen. Toilets with a tap. Benches.

Magnificent city, ancient alleys, a labyrinth with exceptional heritage

Church built in the 15th century, from that period only the choir and the chapel to the north, which became the sacristy, currently remain. The nave and transept were rebuilt in 1851 (inscription: MR. RUPIN MAIRE ET LES PAROISSIENS 1851). The tower is dated 1859, it was built by Guyon, an entrepreneur from Vitré.

The Town Hall (15th century-1904), located place de la Mairie. Its bell tower dates from 1534. It is the former church transformed into a town hall by the mayor-châtelain, Jacques le Cardinal de Kernier, at the beginning of the 20th century. The latter had built a new church for the inhabitants of Val-d'Izé.

The church was built from 1889 to 1895, in sandstone, granite, and limestone. With a Latin cross plan, the building is composed of three naves. The main nave is covered by domes on pendentives, and the crossing of the transept features a lantern tower. The overall design of the ensemble is neo-Romanesque with a bichromy of materials and different stonework. The domed roof, the multiple decorative details, and the play of polychrome materials reflect a mastered art of the Romanesque architecture of Angoumois.

New church built from 1861 by Audrouin a hundred meters south of the old one. It was completed in 1875 with the construction of the tower.

Old church mentioned as early as 1160 and rebuilt in the 16th and 17th centuries (old tower dated 1582). The current church was entirely built to the plans of Arthur Regnault in 1904 (date and attribution by source). He uses the model of the so-called Plantagenet vaulted ceiling for the covering of the nave and aisles, but for the bell tower, he draws inspiration from Cornish bell walls. Two windows from the late 15th and 16th centuries of the old church were reused on the south side of the nave. This church, rebuilt in the Breton flamboyant style, is representative of the architect's style during this period.

The bell tower is visible from afar and has long dominated the town and its surroundings. The Saint-Pierre church has retained its impact on the local landscape for over a century. It was indeed in 1888 that the Fabrique Council decided to entrust Arthur Régnault, the diocese's architect, with the project for a new construction. His plan was accepted and work began in October 1889, before the blessing of the first stone on March 13, 1890. As an anecdote, the stones are extracted from the quarry of La Bouëxière. Quickly, the inhabitants discovered its citadel-like appearance, Arthur Régnault having wanted to honor the city of Châteaubourg which had not had a castle for a long time! The structural work was completed on March 28, 1893, but due to lack of funds, the bells would wait until 1894. The work on the woodwork and the construction of the high altar took place in 1911, the church being due to host the important Eucharistic congress of 1913. Maintenance work continued over the years, the church having become the property of the municipality since 1905. During the bombings of the summer of 1944, the church was spared. The inhabitants would not forget it: on May 9, 1945, the day after the armistice, the men carried Notre Dame de Boulogne in procession and paraded barefoot through the streets. The centenary was celebrated in 1992 with the decision to install the current organ. The church of Châteaubourg has thus traversed local history from the 15th century – the date of construction of the previous, much smaller church – to that designed by Arthur Régnault.