The Castle's Chapel
History of the Chapel
The Grange Moreau's chapel is a place of worship that was attached to the domain in the 19th century. There is no mention of a chapel in the oldest deeds of the Grange's seigneury, notably in the sale of 1637. However, in the 1820s, it is mentioned in the courtyard of the demolished castle a building serving as a "chapel with conveniences, a chicken coop, a cane roof and an estimated 300 francs firewood shed". The first creators of this chapel seem to be Jacques Louis de Béru and his wife.
The Marquise de Montesson, niece of Jacques Louis de Béru, is the one who gave the Grange a building for religious use. Her grandson indeed wrote in 1856: "The chapel of the Grange Moreau, rebuilt by Mr. Delarue, at the same time as the new Grange Moreau castle, and in the Renaissance style, this chapel stands out with its nice marble paneling and its stained-glass windows representing the life of Our Lady to whom it is dedicated, and of which it owns a statue once placed on the altar of the Virgin in the cathedral".
Description of the Chapel
The Grange Moreau's chapel is a Renaissance style building. It consists of a nave measuring 6.50m long by 4.85m wide, a porch to the east and a semi-circular sanctuary to the west. The monumental entrance takes the form of a classic church facade with an arch flanked by columns and pilasters, an entablature and a large niche topped with a triangular pediment. The chapel is dedicated to Our Lady and owns a statue that was given to the inhabitants of Crannes.
The Virgin and Child is a work from the 18th-century terracotta workshops of Le Mans, it is 1.62m high, it is now located in the Crannes cemetery and was classified as a historical monument on December 29, 1975.
It is a place of piety and an aspect of the seigneurial ideal. The castle's guests can come and visit this chapel to discover the history and characteristics of this religious building.