The Saint-Martin priory is located in the town of Sougé-le-Ganelon, in the department of Sarthe, 19 km northeast of Sillé-le-Guillaume.
Located in the center of the town, near the church, it was founded in the Middle Ages by the monks of the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Pierre de la Couture in Le Mans.
What remains is a magnificent conventual dwelling dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, built on two levels, the second floor being sheltered under the gable roof covered with slates.
On the garden side, the façade has a remarkable and singular hexagonal tower in its center, the corners of which are made of Roussard stones and which is covered by chestnut shingles. The building is pierced with mullioned windows surmounted, on the courtyard side this time, on the second floor, by sculpted shells evoking the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
This magnificent example of Renaissance architecture is now private property. The former priory houses a holiday cottage.
Listed in the Inventory, it is easily observable from the public thoroughfare and can mark out a walk in the town, as can the Romanesque base church.
Information on +33 2 43 33 83 89.
