Mamers - Notre-Dame

The village of Mamers originated from a Gallo-Roman settlement. It was first mentioned in the 6th and 7th centuries in the lives of the hermits Saint Rigomer and Saint Longis.

In 1171, Saosnois, where the village is located, passed into the hands of John I, Count of Alençon, and then, through marriage, into the hands of the Châtellerault, Harcourt, and Alençon families. During the Hundred Years' War, Mamers was destroyed by the army of the Count of Salisbury. The end of hostilities allowed for economic recovery and the beginning of reconstruction.

The Reformation and the religious struggles of the 16th century led to a new wave of violence and ruin. After the assassination of Henry III, Saosnois remained loyal to its master, Henry IV. In 1650, however, by which time Mamers had become an important center of the Reformed religion, the town was besieged and subsequently burned.

A church was built on the site of the 11th-century chapel of the adjacent priory. The chapel was destroyed in the 15th century. In its place, a rectangular church with a square tower to the south was built.

The (catholic) church was partially damaged during the Wars of Religion. Between 1828 and 1832, the chancel was rebuilt and extended.