The best road cycling routes around Saint-Célerin

Very pleasant for a moment of relaxation

Religious building or fortified castle? The church of St George is surprising! Of Romanesque origin (11th century), the places have been transformed over the centuries, notably during the wars of religion where the church was fortified. A front part is built with a complete defense system: watchtowers (small turrets), loopholes and barred doors. These defense elements narrowly escaped destruction in the 17th century. Inside you can admire a Virgin and Child, Saint Barbara, Saint Paul and of course the statue of Saint George. You will also be able to observe the remains of one of the Aunais crosses. The building presents many other treasures: old clock mechanism, exhibition on the Cassini family, liturgical vestments...

The first mentions of a place of worship in Tuffé refer to the Sainte-Marie church of the abbey and then the priory, from the 7th century. The creation of the parish of Tuffé is perhaps contemporary or later but currently not documented. Could the priory’s Sainte-Marie church, mentioned much earlier than the Saint-Pierre church, also have once been the parish church of Tuffé? Could the embryo of the current parish church be this private chapel that Hugues Doubleau gave to the abbey with the Sainte-Marie church at the beginning of the 11th century, according to the cartulary of the Saint-Vincent abbey in Le Mans ? In any case, the parish is only attested late by texts (beginning of the 12th century in the same cartulary), but the non-oriented plan of the church, as well as the term Saint-Pierre, argue for the age of the building. The addition of Saint-Paul to the term seems very late, even abusive, since the archival documents systematically refer to a Saint-Pierre church, as does the decoration of the building in the 19th century. If this is an error, it was perhaps induced by Julien-Rémy Pesche at the beginning of the 19th century. The oldest part of the current building is the nave, much remodeled subsequently but the base of the walls of which shows in places a structure made of small rubble stones from the Romanesque period at the latest. But above all, the north gable wall and the first bay of the gutter walls show traces of openings and corner chains made of bricks alternating with limestone cut stones. This formula, rare if not unique in Perche Sarthois, is debated as to its dating. Some historians see it as a testimony to Carolingian architecture. Others, more cautious, put forward an archaic dating of the 11th century, where the use of brick alternating with stone would be an economic choice rather than an aesthetic one: this would explain a certain irregularity in the implementation, particularly in the arch of the old door of the north gable wall. The same uncertainty hangs over the addition of the buttresses and the opening of the current north gate. The nave is covered with a new framework and a spire and the paneling was installed in 1604 as evidenced by the signature (repainted in 1885) “In 1604 this Church was labruchée – Tomas Mabile attorney of the Fabrique de Séans ". The dating of the other parts of the church is not much easier. The construction of the east chapel (presbytery side) is not in too much doubt, the Renaissance decoration of the door to the street and the cupboard, although crude, indicates the middle of the 16th century. This chapel, dedicated to the Virgin, belonged to the lords of Chéronne. Its western counterpart (square side), dedicated to the Sacré-Cœur and built by the lords of Ramée, is less easy to date due to lack of ancient decor. This chapel could have been built shortly before or shortly after that of Chéronne, but undoubtedly not simultaneously, as evidenced by the slight asymmetry of the roofs and the different profile of the structural members. The apse, generally considered to also date from the 16th century, could only be from the 3rd quarter of the 18th century, as a bundle of clues suggests: the axial wall left blind probably to accommodate an altarpiece, the plan burrow made between 1757 and 1759 which still shows a circular apse undoubtedly Romanesque, as well as a document from 1775, indicating that the priest "would have had the necessary and pleasant works done to the great altar of the said church caused by the demolition and construction that Mrs de Saint-Vincent would have had the gable of the said church made. The sacristy would be a 17th century addition.

In this architecture we find different styles and periods, from the 12th, 15th, 16th to the 19th century, including Gothic and Neo-Romanesque. Romanesque bays and foothills. Stained glass window and 16th century font as well as the current apse and the two side chapels. The south door with its lintel and its straight feet decorated with rosettes and diamonds. The church had stained glass windows from the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th century. Fragments exist in the speckles and spandrels of the bay of the Rosary Chapel, listed in 1983. The stained glass windows are almost all dated and signed by the same glass painter between 1885-1889 "af Paris" probably Anselme Fialex, son of François Fialex who was a glass painter in Mayet Creation of an entrance to the square as well as the opening of new 19th century bays. the vault, paneled and undoubtedly painted from the beginning, was redone in 1602 with restoration in the 19th century, when a new decoration was painted. The main altar dates from 1867.

The Palets de Gargantua is a megalithic structure that was originally a dolmen. Looking at it in its environment, one can't help but wonder which came first: the rock...or the tree...? The tree trunk giving way to the rock of course gives the answer to this question.

The castle was started in the 1400s. 400 years later it was restored in the neogothic style.

nice view with a large park, ideal for a break

There is a small wooded park by the water. Ideal place for a break or a picnic