The collegiate church of St Peter of the Cour
History:
This church was built in the 10th at the same time as the palace by Hugh the first, count of Anjou, who put here a brotherhood of canons (that's the reason why it is called "collegiate church).
In the church were kept the relics of St Scholastique, the twin -sister of St Benedict, who founded together the st Benedict's rule, the most powerfull religious order of the West in the Middle Ages.
Initially, there was a first st Peter's church that kept those relics, but this church was situated outside the town. From the 9th century, norman attacks began, so Hugh the first decided to put them in safety in the new church, protected by the big wall. The church also contained the standard of the counts of the Maine.
In the 11th, when the town was led by William the Conqueror, this one decided to alter (modifier) the acces to the town, he built a door that pierced the roman wall, people who wanted to go outside or inside the town were checked, what allowed to improve the security. You can see this door, called "door of W the conqueror".
At the begining of the 12th , the church was ruined by a fire but was restored a few decades later by Henry the second Planta, who made it more beautiful by adding a bay and a tower too.
Rivalry between canons of the collegiate church and canons of the cathedral
The brotherhood of canons competed the one of the cathedral. In the 13th they obtained by appointement of the king to make a big choir which went past (qui dépassait) the surrounding wall. But this choir (inspired of the one of the Holly Chapel in Paris) was massive and fortified in order to be protected.
-during the 100 years war, this building was erected in 3 levels
-in the 15th , construction of 5 chapels around the choir
After that, the building was largely modified between the Revolution and the 20th, it became a school, then a stage for musical performances, while it's nowadays a museum of contemporary and modern art, considered as the fifth museum of the town! And sometimes, notably for the international european jazz festival, it's used a a musical stage. (like in the past)
