Since the end of October, the church of Morannes, in Maine-et-Loire, has been plunged into an unusual silence. Closed to the public since April 2023 for security reasons, the building nevertheless continued to ring its bells, offering a familiar and comforting sound to the inhabitants of the village. But this daily melody suddenly stopped following a structural accident.
A closure necessary to preserve the building
The decision to close the church was taken by the elected officials of the department to “prevent the worsening of the disorders on the elevations”, as reported by our colleagues from 20 Minutes. The condition of the building required precautions to protect the village's heritage. Despite this measure, the regular vibrations of the bells may have contributed to further weakening the structure.
Worrying degradations observed
The mayor of Morannes-sur-Sarthe-Daumeray, Jean-Marie Cardoën, detailed the accident: “Part of one of the four columns of the bell tower came loose. The fallen piece damaged the roof, and we had to stop the bells to prevent the vibrations from causing further damage. » The architect in charge of the renovation also noted significant cracks, both inside and outside the building.
An expensive backup project
Given the scale of the work necessary, the total cost of restoring the church is estimated at more than 800,000 euros. Classified as a Historic Monument, the church mobilizes the efforts of the municipality, which is multiplying requests for subsidies to finance this major project. Jean-Marie Cardoën hopes that the work will begin at the end of 2025. In the meantime, the surroundings of the building remain closed to guarantee the safety of passers-by and avoid new incidents.
