Huisne
The Huisne () is a long river in France. It is a left tributary of the river Sarthe, which it meets in Le Mans. Its source is near the town of Pervenchères, in the Orne department.
The Huisne flows through the following departments and towns: ...
'') is a former
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
in the
Orne
Orne (; nrf, Ôrne or ) is a département in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne. It had a population of 279,942 in 2019.department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
in northwestern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of
Rémalard en Perche
Rémalard en Perche (, literally ''Rémalard in Perche'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, department of Orne, northwestern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2016 by merger of the former communes of ...
The church at Bellou-sur-Huisne, as many religious buildings in the Perche, belongs to the Romanesque era. This cruciform church has a single nave. The base of the tower constitutes the North transept, while a chapel built in 1854, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, serves as South transept. The apse ends in a semicircle, while its base is made of stones of quite large size. The building must have had architectural interest. The main entrance was the North one. It is the most typical feature of the original church. In the 16th and 17th century, the church underwent alterations.
In 1875, the "Fabrique" (official organization of parishioners) and direct gifts from parishioners made it possible to start restoration work, and the sculptures representing various motifs taken from Christian symbolism date from that time. The most typical features are the 82 medallions which decorate the various sides of the building, representing the history of Christianity, the sins of men, redemption, the litanies of the Virgin Mary and the symbols of the Church.
The furniture of the church is quite remarkable : a baroque altarpiece in painted stone with wings and six columns (18th century), an arched pediment with glory, garlands and baskets of flowers, decorated with two statues ( Saint Martin and Saint Paterne) in carved and painted wood (17th century), a wooden tabernacle (18th century), a great crucifix in carved and painted wood (17th century), an 18th-century processional banner. All these are on the supplementary historical register. A beautiful set of 18th century benches is also worthy of notice.
One of the three bells (1896) was given to the parish by the empress of Russia. Her godfather was count Jules François de la Bonninière de Beaumont, and her godmother her majesty the dowager empress of Russia Maria Feodorovna, widow of Alexander III, and mother of the last Tsar, Nicolas II.
The windows represent the patron saints of the parish and the saints who lived in the Perche. The ones in the apsidal recesses are Saint Paterne,
Saint Eloi
Saint Eligius (also Eloy, Eloi or Loye; french: Éloi; 11 June 588 – 1 December 660 AD) is the patron saint of goldsmiths, other metalworkers, and coin collectors. He is also the patron saint of veterinarians, the Royal Electrical and Mechani ...
and Saint Louis, the ones in the nave, Saint Latuin and Saint Laumer. The nave windows were designed and made in an Argentan workshop, by Ledien and Bazire (1858). Local popular fashion best enabled the
stained glass
Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
artists to express their originality. In the absence of academic models, they had to create original art representing the specific cults of the Perche. Several of these windows have been on the register of the département since 1987. Next, transfer of the relics of Saint Latuin to Bellou S/Huisne.
Eighteenth century processional banner, restored in 2006-2007 (Oil on linen canvas, one side representing Saint Paterne, the other, the virgin enthroned.)
Bellou-sur-Huisne Patrimoine association
The "Bellou-sur-Huisne Patrimoine" association was created in July 2005 in order to collect gifts from individuals and companies and help the village to preserve its cultural and historical heritage and more specifically, the church of Saint Paterne. Thanks to the gifts and to the "Fondation du Patrimoine" and the "Conseil Général de l'Orne", the tower and many works of art (The Stations of the Cross, the banner etc.) have already been restored. Many objects and pieces of furniture are still in need of renovation. Gifts to the association may be tax-deductible. For further information, contact :