Montilliers combines architectural history and local remembrance with opportunities for walking and spending time outdoors. If you are considering the town as a destination for a stay, the Church of Saint-Hilaire, the Croix des Martyrs, the La Fontaine washhouse and the Circuit des Prés Naiteaux offer specific points of interest for a range of interests.
Church, stained glass and local history
The parish church of Saint-Hilaire was built between 1905 and 1908 and consecrated on 5 January 1908. Its ground plan comprises a nave, a transept, an apse and side apses; architecturally, it is in the ogival style. A single-nave church has one nave as its main section, while the transept is arranged across it. The apse and side apses form additional parts of the ground plan. The term “ogival” refers to pointed-arch forms. This makes it possible to understand the church in terms of both its construction period and its architecture.
A stained-glass window in the church, created by Clames, a glass artist from Anjou, was declared a historic monument in 1989. It depicts the massacre at the Croix des Martyrs. The cross commemorates an event from the War in the Vendée: on 5 April 1794, 22 residents of Montilliers, including women and children, were shot. The church and memorial cross thus reveal different aspects of the town’s history: sacred stained glass and the remembrance of a specific historical event.
The Prieuré is also part of the town’s history. In the past, it served political, healthcare and educational functions. Alongside the church and memorial sites, these former uses show that Montilliers’ history encompasses several areas of life.
Explore the outdoors
The Circuit des Prés Naiteaux is a circular trail of the Sentier de Promenade et de Randonnée (PR) type. If you enjoy planning a walk, you can consider this named hiking trail as a separate activity; unlike a single cultural attraction, the route itself is the main focus here.
The Les Prés Naiteaux recreational area has a pontoon for people with reduced mobility. This specific facility may be a factor when choosing outdoor activities if you pay attention to the amenities listed at a destination.
The La Fontaine washhouse was built in 1838 and redeveloped in 2015 with new trees, tables and boules courts. The washhouse therefore brings together a historic structure and features for recreation and spending time there. It can be reached via a footpath through the La Fontaine housing estate. The walk there provides its own way to access this place in Montilliers, while the tables and boules courts offer a different connection to the site than its architectural history alone.
Plan your bus journey
During the school term, route 418 offers up to six return trips between Lys-Haut-Layon, Montilliers and Angers. The time-related condition is important for your planning: the service runs during the school term, and the number of trips is stated as “up to” six. Check current departure times before travelling to make sure your journey matches the available service times.
Discover more destinations: Montrevault, Jallais, Avrillé, Méon, Chemiré-sur-Sarthe, Saint-Pierre-Montlimart, Nuaillé, Courléon.
For the wider travel overview: Maine-Et-Loire.
