Saint-Georges-of-Chesné

Saint-Georges-with-Chesné ( Bitch , marked Chiaenae in Gallo) is a common French, located in the department of Ille-et-Vilaine and the area Brittany.

Geography

Saint-Georges-of-Chesné is located at 38 km in the North-East of Rennes and at 49 km in the south of the Mont Saint-Michel in the country of Fougères.

The communes bordering are Vendel, Billé, Combourtillé, Mecé, Deliver-on-Changeon, Saint-Aubin-of-Cormier the and Saint-Jean-on-Couesnon.

History

The historical sources on a rural district such Saint-Georges-of-Chesné remain limited except the old parochial registers which go up until the 16th century. But it was until there is little because a very recent discovery in the presbytery revealed old documents, in particular the accounts books of the Fabrique of the beginning of the 18th century and 19th century, the register of deliberations of the Fabrique of the 19th century or the invaluable book of parish.

The name of the commune knew various variations, one finds hard copy of Chiene in 1404 and of Chesneyum in 1516. This patronym of Chesné (by removing the Latin suffix) goes then perdurer in the sources until the Revolution, losing sometimes its - S. The book of parish tells us then that “At that time the municipal employees completely ignoramuses are reflected to write it as the people spoke” , i.e. Chienné . It was the name of the commune, sometimes preceded by patron saint, until an imperial decree of 1859 which fixed the name of Saint-Georges-to-Chesné .

On the origins of the parish Guillotin de Corson this tells us: “In 1213, Harscouët of Vendel, knight, desisted in favor of Olive, abbess of Saint-Sulpice-of-Wood, the claims which it had emitted on some said of Vendel, of Vault-Saint-Aubert and Chesné; said pertaining in fact to the monastery of this lady.” And indeed, the vice-chancellors of the parish will pour until the Revolution a feature of said to the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Sulpice-of-Wood (today Saint-Sulpice-the-Forest) like to the Bénédictins of Vitré. In the same way the abbey of Saint-Sulpice still had strongholds in the parish until in 1682.

One can claim by toponymy and the existing sources that the parish was created only in XIe-XIIe centuries, whereas the parochial grid existed already. That can bring to think that the parish of Bitch was dismembered on the territory of an existing parish, such Saint-Jean-on-Couesnon (what was the case for the creation of Saint-Aubin-of-Cormier the). It is the thesis of Roger Blot, and going in this direction, the second owner of the parish is not other than Saint Jean-Baptiste, owner of Saint-Jean-on-Couesnon.

Administration

Demography

Inheritance

The Saint-Georges church

Sources learn us thus that there existed already a religious building at the beginning of the 13th century and confirmed in that by the walls external of the current church, which reveal the existence of this one by the ferrugineous sandstone re-employment, hones typical Romanesque architecture.

The new church is built at the 15th century, to replace this become Romance church, seems it, too exiguous. Its plan remains simple, rectangular with already two collateral bordering the nave. This one presents granite arcades with pillars without capitals, similar to those which one finds in the church of Vault-Saint-Aubert. There also remains of this time two secondary altar stones out of granite, replaced since under the retables out of wooden of the 18th century of the vaults. One of it, found buried at the time of the restoration of the Sixties, is particularly interesting by its form initially, since the table was carried at the origin by a triangular solid mass of plan, and with the two former angles by posts (as with Balazé); and by his decoration because with each angle of the table one finds a head carved, one at the place and the other with back. The face of left is encapuchonné and looks towards the sky while the other directs its glance towards the ground. Two interpretations are possible: it can be a question of the opposition between the ecclesiastic, with his hood, which included/understood most important and looks at already towards the celestial world while the laic remainder fixed on the concern of the terrestrial world. The second interpretation, most judicious, eludes this opposition while keeping the direction, to see only the two lives of the same man: terrestrial life and celestial life. The passage between these two lives is represented by the hood which surrounds the first face, it would be the shroud representing death and the new life. One also discovered at the time of the recent restoration (2004-2006) a buried stone of sink, vestige of old a Crédence, i.e. a liturgical wash-hand basin, of XVe century, which accompanied a secondary furnace bridge.

Dated from the middle of the 15th century, “ the Reliquaire of Mister sainct Georges ” as one calls it in the sources was likely to be restored with the commune after having been stolen twice. The last time in 2001, before being found later on the catalog of sale Drouot four years. The relics, two phalanges of Saint Georges disappeared, but the Reliquaire very silver was preserved. One knows the name of the giver, engraved with very the object “ G. Durochier ”, noble to be able to pay such a part. The Reliquaire carries one of the oldest punches of Master-goldsmith found in High-Brittany, with initial the R and L engraved.

The current chorus is built with the beginning of the year 1520 as the two panels of the old mistress-pane show it gone back to 1525, of an unknown artist. This mistress-pane represented into nine or twelve scenes the passion of Christ. There remains today only the panel appearing the crucifixion with the Virgin and holy Jean and the panel where Saint Georges is represented, in armor of time (of the 16th century). The panelled vault of the chorus was remade at the 19th century, undoubtedly with identical because medieval architecture was preserved with its two tie-beams which cut the vault. One of them appears even two engoulants, mouths of dragons which avalent the tie-beams because symbolizing the evil and paganism, they are not entitled to the word in the church.

The chapter is built fine 15th-beginning 16th century. This southern porch with its granite benches was the meeting room of the fabric committee. It is built thanks to a local lord (Busson lords of Grass in Pocé or Gédouin, lord of Dobiais in Saint-Jean-on-Couesnon) of which armorial bearings, erased today, are carved with crossed arc of entry. The leaves of the gate are of origin with its worked fenestrations and its reasons “in folds of towel”, just like the two sand pits, which are thus, rare thing, external. One can see the same symbolic system in these sand pits as that declined by the altar stone. The sand pit of left would represent the terrestrial life: the arrow appears the war, the cross: the cross faith, cranium and tibiae (single in the department): death. Another symbol recalls us that death is not the end; a face spitting a plant (and yes, to push up daisies) which establishes the link with the sand pit of right-hand side. This one is also composed of a face spitting a plant, but not any. It is vine, symbol of life and Christ. This sand pit would thus represent the celestial life.

A sacristy is also built, perhaps in 1554, indeed the accounts books of the Fabrique of the 16th century mentioned, according to Guillotin de Corson which consulted them before they disappear, that the factory had “ Poyé in Guill. Hake por to have faict large the vistre revestuaire ”. These accounts books, which went up until 1534, thus mentioned the existence of a sacristy (of which the old name is revestuaire) in XVIe century, which more is with platform (or jubé) because being able to accommodate a canopy. This one, perhaps gone back to 1555, is carried out by a Master-glassmaker famous vitréen, Guillaume Collin , former associate of Gilles of the Cross-Valley, is known for work with Champeaux and Louvigné-with-Bais in the years 1540, under the patronage of the Espinay . Because of the mention of this Master-glassmaker, one a long time wrongly allotted the mistress-pane of to him 1525, whereas he is the author of a stained glass now disappeared. The northern vault is built in 1660 by the vice-chancellor of the time, Guillaume Crosnier, who left his signature. It is dedicated to the worship of the Rosaire, and had to shelter thereafter a brotherhood of the Rosaire. It also seems that at that time a Retable Baroque was built in the chorus. There remain about it two amounts of statues, some gilded woodworks found at the time of the last restoration and especially the gate vault which throne still in the chorus. The recent found parochial sources also speak about two tables being under the two employers' statues: Holy Georges in front of the temple or it reverses by the presence the statue of Apollo to the great spite of the Emperor and the decapitation of Saint Jean-Baptiste . The sources also speak about a central table which represented the passion of Christ .

The bell-tower Beffroi is built at the 17th century. It is composed of a Beffroi of form square where the room of the bells is located and of which the timber structure went down until in the nave. Above one finds the drum of the Dôme of octagonal form, decorated at his base by four pyramidions, on which the Dôme itself rests. A Campanile finishes the construction which culminates with more than 30 meters. This impressive bell-tower had to replace a wall-belfry, as one still finds some in the country of Ferns, with Vault-Saint-Aubert and Villamée.

In 1781, the bishop of Rennes Mgr Bar of Girac , is in visit in the parish and gives the order to build a vault which would give to the building the shape of Latin cross. The southern vault, dedicated to the Holy Spirit, is built with the stones of the old sacristy with platform in 1785. The traditional retables out of wooden of the two vaults are built thereafter. A smaller sacristy is rebuilt with an interior which preserves in its woodworks a panel of the old trunk of the factory dating from the 16th century.

In 1794, the Republican guard vandalisa the church and destroyed in particular all the old statues of this one which is equipped today with statues sulpicians out of plaster of the end of the 19th century.

In 1862, a survey mentions condition bad of the bell-tower. He recommends to shave it to build nine of them. Two years later, a political report/ratio evokes the hostility of the local population to entirely rebuild the bell-tower. This one is finally consolidated in 1870. In 1879, the window of the chorus, closed by a masonry is réouverte. One discovers there the vestiges of the mistress-pane of 1525. Two panels are recovered and replaced in a small window. The new mistress-pane, dedicated to the Sacred Heart, is carried out by the workshop Lecomte and Colin . This one with the characteristic to be the first mistress-pane realized by the workshop of Rennes, which completed work in more than one forty churches of the area. The woodworks and the furniture of the chorus are carried out by the sculptor vitréen Victor Augerie in 1880, just as the pulpit in 1883 (which replaced a “wormeaten wood of it ”), whose panels are today on the conciliar furnace bridge.

The enclosure presbytéral

If the church lost its parochial Enclos in 1948 with the displacement of the cemetery, the presbytéral unit has preserved him. It is undoubtedly a single example in the department of such a rich architectural unit articulating itself around a presbytery. In addition to this one, one finds in this unit closed by a wall: the gate of entry made up of a carriage door and a pedestrian door, the barn dimeress, a bakehouse, which seems to be a Glacière and of course the closed garden which is used at the same time of kitchen garden and orchard.

The frontage of the presbytery indicates to us that it was modified several times in the past. Lintels are not in their place. But a date remained engraved in the stone: 1680.

The barn dimeress as for it is built in 1717 as an inscription indicates it: “MR. BUDECOQ RC OF OAK 1717”, by the vice-chancellor Rene Budecoq. It was used to in kind store this ecclesiastical tax which was the Dîme (in theory, a tenth of harvests). Therefore its architecture is so particular. Indeed, the barn presents a roof “to the Mansart” which makes it possible to have two levels of attics called break and Terrasson, to store cereals as much as possible. The cover of the barn was also remarkable until in 1974, date on which one changed it for slate. Indeed, this cover was carried out in wooden tiles, essagnes in Gallo, i.e. a small plank of châtaigner, very resistant to time. Some houses of the borough still raised this cover at the beginning of the 20th century.

The manor of Molan

The manor which is located at localities the “Molans” dates from the whole beginning of the 17th century. Previously a small castle, strengthened rose, which was destroyed after the end of the wars of religion. The current manor is an old noble smallholding which is distinguished from the country habitat by the presence of a tower, symbol of the nobility of its owners. However this tower has only one utility function: it contains a spiral staircase, out of wood, which serves two stages.

This castle seems to belong to Busson, lords of Grass, Pocé (the-Wood, beside Vitré) at the beginning of the 16th century then passes quickly to the lords of Dobiais from which the various families will have it until the Revolution. The historical fact of this castle proceeds during the Guerre of the League, ultimate episode of the Wars of religion in Brittany. In 1593, the captain of the town of Rennes of Montbarot, faithful to the king Henri IV, sent a garrison kept the castle of Molan to prevent it from falling to the hands from the partisans from the Duc from Mercoeur, the chief of the Ligue in Brittany.

Events related to the commune

Critérium of Saint-Georges-of-Chesné

Critérium cyclist created after the Second world war by the mayor of the commune of the time, Louis Delaunay. It was about a race on a circuit of a little less than 1 km, making the turn of the borough, to carry out 100 times. The critérium cyclist was held after the Tour de France, generally in September. This critérium was one of most famous department with that of Bath-of-Brittany, it attracted each year in small commune 4 to 5000 spectators.

The great names of French and international cycling were invited there: Jean Robic, Louison Bobet, Jacques Anquetil, Raymond Poulidor, Roger Pingeon, the brothers Groussard: buildings of the stage, Felice Gimondi, Gilbert Desmet, Rolf Wolfshohl, Federico Bahamontès…

The test ended with the increasing marchandisation of the sport cyclist to the beginning of the year 70, which destroyed these small critériums of countryside. The symptomatic example is the asking price by Eddy Merckx (which will never run to Saint-Georges-to-Chesné) to come: 10000 francs of the time; a sum too much important to allow the organization of such a test.

Associations

Sport :

Independent Saint-Georges-with-Chesné - ISGC

Sections: football, volley ball, badminton, gymnastics of maintenance, go.

Culture :

Association Library Culture Relaxation - ABCD

See too

Common of Ille-et-Vilaine

Bibligraphy

Works and articles on the commune

Roger SIMON, Saint-Georges-of-Chesné, one century of life, duty to remember , 2006,225 p.
Guillaume GERALD, " Inheritance of a rural district of the country of Ferns: Saint-Georges-of-Chesné" , in Bulletin and memories of the club javenéen of local history , volume XX, 2007.

Sources

Old parochial registers (1567-1652,1668-1709,1710-1791,1793-1875), Departmental records of Ille-et-Vilaine.
Accounts books of the factory (1700-1721 and 1836-1884)
Register of the deliberations of the factory (1857-1906)
Book of parish (1862-1937)

parochial History

Jean OGEE, historical and geographical Dictionary of the province of Brittany , 2 volumes, new edition re-examined and increased by Alphonse MARTEVILLE and Pierre VARIN, Molliex, Rennes, 1843 and 1853.

Amédée BERTIN and Leon MAUPILLE, historical and statistical Note over the baronnie, the city, the district of Ferns , A. Marteville & Lefas, Rennes, 1846.

Amédée GUILLOTIN OF CORSON, historical Pouillé of the archbishop's palace of Rennes , 7 volumes, Rennes, 1880-1886.

Emile PAUTREL, Concept of history and archeology of the area of the country of Ferns , Editions H. Riou-Reuzé, Rennes, 1927.

Paul BANEAT, the department of Ille-et-Vilaine , 4 volumes, Editions J. Larcher, Rennes, 1927-1929.

Inheritance

, the inheritance of the communes of Ille-et-Vilaine , 2 volumes, Flohic, Paris, 2000.

Piotr CANDIO & Geraldine LESAGE, Diagnosis of architect DPLG , Rennes, 2003.

Sophie DUHEM, sand pits carved in Brittany , PURE, Rennes, 1997.

Francoise GATOUILLAT & Michel HEROLD, stained glasses in Brittany, Vitrearum Corpus, Census of the old stained glasses of France , PURE, Rennes, 2005.

Jean-Jacques RIOULT and Sophie ALDER, goldsmiths of High-Brittany , Books of the inheritance, general Inventory of the Monuments and the artistic Richnesses of France, PURE, 2006.

External bonds

the official site of the city of Saint-Georges-to-Chesné
Saint-Georges-of-Chesné on the site of the national geographical Institute
Saint-Georges-of-Chesné on the site of INSEE
Saint-Georges-of-Chesné on the site of Quid
Localization of Saint-Georges-of-Chesné on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Saint-Georges-of-Chesné on Mapquest
Critérium of Saint-Georges-of-Chesné on the site Report on cycling

Random links: