The Saint-Charles chapel, more commonly known as the Cathelineau chapel, is a small architectural treasure containing the tomb of the Vendée leader Jacques Cathelineau and his son.
Keys to the interior of the chapel and General Cathelineau's tomb can be borrowed from the Saint-Florent-le-Vieil tourist office, OPEN ONLY FROM APRIL TO THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
During your visit to the Petite Cité de Caractère® of Saint-Florent-le-Vieil, you won't want to miss the Saint-Charles chapel, also known as the Cathelineau chapel. Listed as a Historic Monument, it stands on the site of the former Cordelières convent.
During the Vendée wars, in the aftermath of the uprising of 12 March 1793, Jacques Cathelineau, nicknamed "the Saint of Anjou", joined the Vendée military movement and took part in the battles in which the Vendée troops captured Jallais, Chemillé-en-Anjou, Cholet, Vihiers, Chalonnes-sur-Loire, Thouars and other towns. His dedication was recognised by other Vendéen chiefs, who recognised him as the first generalissimo of the Catholic and royal army.
On 29 June 1793, during the attack on Nantes, Jacques Cathelineau was wounded on the Place Viarme. He was transferred to the military hospital at Saint-Florent-le-Vieil, the former Cordelières convent, for treatment. It was here that the Vendée generalissimo succumbed to his wounds on 14 July 1793.
Initially, he was buried at the foot of the Saint-Sauveur chapel, in the Saint-Florent-le-Vieil cemetery. Then, between 1856 and 1858, Count Théodore de Quatrebarbes had the neo-Plantagenet (Anjou Gothic) chapel built to house some of the remains of Cathelineau and his son, Jacques-Joseph. The latter was killed on 27 May 1832 during an attempted uprising by the Duchess of Berry. The other remains lie in the church of Saint-Pavin in Le Pin-en-Mauges, the commune where the Generalissimo was born.
In one of the chapel's transepts is the general's tomb, created by the sculptor Molcknecht. He is represented by a moulded plaster statue: standing, Cathelineau leans on a cross that he wraps around his left arm and which he appears to be defending with a sabre held in his other hand. The generalissimo's battles are depicted on three sides of the plinth, along with the coat of arms and the motto "Dieu et le Roy" ("God and King").
It is therefore natural that this chapel is more commonly known as the "Cathelineau Chapel" in homage to the Vendée general.
