The Village
L'Eglise St. Germain
The village is dominated in the north by the imposing church of Saint-Germain. The primitive foundations of the church were constructed in the 11th century not far from a powerful fortress, destroyed in 1049. The church, now classed as an historic monument, was added to and rebuilt many times from the 11th to the 15th centuries, to become one of the prettiest churches in all of Anjou. The twisted, or helicoidal tower was constructed around 1690, well known in this area of Anjou as a 'clocher tor'. There are more examples to be found in the Maine et Loire at Chemiré-sur-Sarthe, Distré, Fontaine-Guerin, Fougeré, Pontigné and Le Vieil-Baugé.
lanterne des morts | l'église st.germain | medieval road
In the choir of the church, Carolingian sarcophagi cut from the shelly stone, with their bones, fragments of coal and pottery exposed are displayed.
They were excavated in 1975 from the old part of Mouliherne, in the south of the current borough, and placed at rest here.
In the entrance to the cemetery, you’ll find the ‘lanterne des morts’ (lantern of the dead). Built on a 12th century ossuary, in diagonal ribs,
it’s the only one in Anjou. The light of the lamp burned each night, a religious symbol visible from the roads to Le Mans and Saumur. It served also as
a beacon in the night to travellers out late on the roads.
The church is usually open for quiet thought, prayers as well as for the architecturally curious!
Manoir de la Touche
The Manoir de la Touche (15th century), is now a private property. On November 13, 1565, Charles IX, then just 15 years old, and accompanied by his
mother Catherine de Médicis, and his cousin, the King of Navarre, himself just 12 years old and the future King of France, Henri IV, stopped there to
dine.
Lavoir
Mouliherne, like so many ancient communes also has a communal ‘laundrette’ of 14th century origins at the entrance to the village, and close to the bridge of Boyelle (the arch dates to 1836), which has been restored in recent times.
