Chapelle De L'hospice Sainte-Marie

The chapel is the remarkable part of Edward Moll's 19th century hospital program. Its appearance evolved several times since the first projects of 1840 until its realization in the middle of the 1850s, in a sense each time more monumental: the modest neoclassical initial chapel gradually gave way to a vast chapel in Greek cross of palladian conception , surmounted by a dome, not originally planned. An imposing portico with pillars and columns bears a vigorous triangular pediment which remained for a long time with stones of waiting: the sculpture, the Science helping the suffering humanity was only realized in 1902 by Louis Carrier - Belleuse, son of the sculptor Albert - Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, himself a student of David d'Angers. The circular dome above it emphasizes the verticality of the portico, in strong contrast with the horizontality and murality of the transept crosspieces on both sides, all balancing in an inverted T - shaped elevation. Compared to the nave and choir of reduced size, the side arms of the transept are oversized because intended to accommodate the many patients of the hospice coming directly from the buildings articulated on both sides of the chapel. The reputation of the chapel comes from its rich pictorial program, which covers all the elevations, undertaken from 1857 to 1868, completed by a last work in 1878, and shared between three artists angevins, Jules Dauban, Eugène Appert and Jules Lenepveu (related themes to the life of the Virgin and the hospitable local history). Disused since 1967, the chapel is now used as a general welcome.