Chapelle Sainte-Barbe de Mincé, Ruined chapel in Baugé-en-Anjou, France.
Chapelle Sainte-Barbe de Mincé is a ruined processional chapel on the private grounds of the Château du Haut-Mincé in Échemiré. It was built in the 18th century over a 17th-century chapel of Saint-Hubert, itself replacing a 15th-century predecessor. By 1986 it had lost its roof, and an expert could not date the remaining masonry precisely. Its bronze bell, 26 cm high and 34 cm across, was cast in 1738 by the Angers founder Pierre Trony, known as Labry.
A 15th-century chapel first stood here; it was replaced in the 17th century by a chapel to Saint Hubert, which in turn gave way to the present 18th-century processional chapel. In 1738 the Angers founder Pierre Trony dit Labry cast a bronze bell for it, blessed on 27 October 1748. The bell vanished in late 1793 during the Vendée wars and was found in 2021 at Trémentines.
Local people walked in processions to this place seeking protection from storms and lightning under Saint Barbara's care. The chapel served as a spiritual center where residents gathered to honor this saint.
The chapel stands on the private grounds of the Château du Haut-Mincé, so it cannot be visited; it is only glimpsed from outside the property. It lost its roof and was already undatable when an inspector from Patrimoine de France examined it in 1986. Access is by road from Échemiré, in the Maine-et-Loire department.
The chapel once held a bronze bell cast by a master founder from Angers in 1738 that vanished during the French Revolution. This bell was later discovered in a different location, showing how precious objects moved during that turbulent period.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,239 contributors worldwide.