With mixed feelings, the inhabitants of the commune of La Baconnière in the department of Mayenne heard the bells of the church of Saint-Corneille-et-Saint-Cyprien ring for the last time on Monday July 31. The demolition of the building was started with the bell tower. Nearly 200 residents gathered to view the church for the last time, reports Ouest-France. The building, which had already been closed to the public since 2014 for safety reasons, was severely damaged by storm “Miguel” in June 2019, causing the roof to fall down.
Extensive work was to be undertaken to restore the building. The costs for the bell tower alone amounted to 1.4 million euros. For the complete repair of the church, more than 6 million euros had to be calculated, according to reports. In view of these astronomical sums, the city administration had no choice but to take the decision to demolish the building.
This decision deeply affected the residents of the community. After the announcement that the church would be demolished, a petition was posted on the internet. The petition entitled “Sauvez le patrimoine” (Save the heritage) collected almost 25,000 signatures. A collective called “Mayenne défend son patrimoine” (Mayenne defends its heritage) had also called for a protest.