For a stay in Oisseau, the Aux Pas de Quincampoix hiking trail and historic buildings offer different points of interest. Saint Pierre Church and the heritage in Loré reveal architectural history spanning several centuries. This allows you to decide before your trip whether you would like to focus more on walking and nature or on architecture and individual historic traces.

On foot: the Quincampoix route and trail

The Aux Pas de Quincampoix hiking trail starts at Place de l’église in Oisseau. 66 percent of the route is on unpaved paths. This makes the surface a practical consideration when planning; for example, you can take it into account when choosing your footwear. A shaded section runs along the river. Information panels along the way provide details about the biodiversity of Coteau du Vallon. In addition to the trail surface, the route therefore has a natural-history focus. Part of the route has been awarded the label of Mayenne Nature Environnement; the designation applies to part of the trail, not to the entire route.

The buildings of the former weaving mill, built in the 19th century, stand along the Quincampoix trail. There is an information panel nearby. The former weaving mill adds a distinctive architectural-history element to the walking and nature themes.

Church and chapel: different periods of construction

The main structure and bell tower of Saint Pierre Church date from different periods: the main structure was built in the 14th and 15th centuries, while the present bell tower was added to the west façade in the 18th century. The dates therefore apply to two different parts of the church and create a clear contrast in age. The Chapelle de Loré also dates from the 14th century. It and the remains of its former fortifications were listed as historic monuments on January 15, 2007. This brings two dates together: the chapel’s construction period and the date it was listed.

Historic traces in Loré and at Camp de Marêtre

Only a few remains survive of the 14th-century fortified house in Loré. They are scattered across a group of buildings that was rebuilt over the centuries. The traces therefore do not survive as a single, intact house but are dispersed throughout the complex. Another detail concerns a stained-glass window in window 4 of the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Pitié in Loré: it depicts a saint who was a cardinal and probably dates from the early 16th century.

One historical connection is Ambroise de Loré: he accompanied Joan of Arc on the stages of the journey that led to the coronation of King Charles VII in 1429. The concrete foundations of the domes have also survived at Camp de Marêtre. The range of interest therefore extends from architecture and individual structural remains to a specific episode from 1429.

Your choice of focus depends on whether you would rather follow a route or explore individual historical themes. Aux Pas de Quincampoix brings together information about the trail surface, the riverside section and nature. The architectural and historical themes, by contrast, comprise several different points of reference: dated construction phases, scattered remains, a window probably dating from an early period, and the story of Ambroise de Loré.

Discover more destinations: Désertines, Saint-Quentin-Les-Anges, Changé, Lesbois, Quelaines, Montsûrs, Brains-Sur-Les-Marches, Cossé-Le-Vivien.

For the wider travel overview: Mayenne.