In Angers, the mystery of the Saint Maurice found during a house clearance has finally been clarified

The survival of heritage sometimes depends on the generosity of people. In Angers, two plaster statues representing the city’s patron saint, Maurice, and one of his companions, Soluteur, were placed in the cathedral. Found more than a year ago by a second-hand dealer, the statues were the subject of a careful investigation by the regional directorate of cultural affairs to determine their origin.

In 2023, Nicolas Brault, manager of a consignment store, is called by an individual who wishes to empty his house. On site, he discovered two statues 2.60 meters high. Their owner had no idea of ​​their origin. He would have inherited it from his father. The seasoned second-hand dealer immediately understands that these are casts. « A real statue of this size weighs a ton. There, there were only three of us to carry them. »

Then begins the investigation into their origin. Back at the depot, Nicolas Brault sent several photos of his find to the diocese of Angers which confirmed that they were statues representing the patron saint of the city – who gives his name to the cathedral of Angers – and one of his companions, Solutor. The two warriors have a familiar appearance; they resemble those which adorn the facade of the cathedral without being quite the same. For what ? Investigations continue for several months at the regional directorate of cultural affairs (Drac) to determine their age.

According to expert reports, the plasters were made during the restoration work on Saint-Maurice Cathedral between 1909 and 1911 under the direction of Jean-Marie Hardion (1858-1932), chief architect of Historic Monuments. The eight monumental statues aligned since 1537 on the western facade, at the base of the central bell tower, representing Saint Maurice and seven of his comrades in arms within the Theban legion, had been removed due to their degraded state.

It was at this time that restorers made stucco models – in fine plaster imitating marble – which made it possible to make stone copies of the dilapidated statues. The originals were sheltered in the episcopal palace and the stone copies placed on the facade of the cathedral.

In the archives, experts found a letter dated June 14, 1912, in which Léon Bérard, Under-Secretary of State for Fine Arts in the Poincaré government, requested that the plaster models also be preserved. They would have been stored in the lower room of the episcopal palace, near the originals. It is mentioned in an inventory of the episcopal palace, carried out in 1940. But we then lost track of these plaster copies when work was carried out in a chapel of the episcopal palace during the 1950s at the request of the bishop of ‘Angers, Henri Alexandre Chappoulie.

How did these two plaster models end up in the possession of an individual and what happened to the six other warriors of the cathedral? History doesn’t tell (yet). Second-hand dealer Nicolas Brault still can’t believe it. « This is the first time I’ve encountered this kind of story. », he explains. He didn’t earn a penny for this find, but the statues gave him a certain fame. « The two casts remained in the consignment store for a year during the Drac investigation, relate-t-il. There was real enthusiasm. They attracted attention. Some took pictures of themselves with it. If I had sold them, they might have gone abroad and never been heard from again. »

Since September 24, the two sculptures have been placed in the north transept of Saint-Maurice Cathedral. They will be cleaned and restored before the end of the year, for an amount of 12,000 euros.