Eglise Saint Orien, Dance of Death

Saint-Orien church contains the 'Dance of Death', a unique group of wall paintings, the most complete in Europe, dating back to the 15th century. Completely restored, it is crowned with the 'Legend of the three living and the three dead', the 'Legend of the talkative women'.

The modest church of Saint Orien de Meslay le Grenet is home to some rare and curious paintings: a Danse Macabre. The Danse Macabre was born amid the misery of the end of the Hundred Years War and shows a procession in which Death leads the way, followed by representatives of all the social classes. The Danse Macabre of Meslay le Grenet was painted in the last years of the 15th century and is composed of twenty couples on the east and west walls of the church. Under each couple, a text in old French can be read, narrating the things said by Death and by the living characters. The painting is one of the most complete of its kind and is unique in Europe. The modest church of Saint Orien de Meslay le Grenet is home to some rare and curious paintings: a Danse Macabre. The Danse Macabre was born amid the misery of the end of the Hundred Years War and shows a procession in which Death leads the way, followed by representatives of all the social classes. The Danse Macabre of Meslay le Grenet was painted in the last years of the 15th century and is composed of twenty couples on the east and west walls of the church. Under each couple, a text in old French can be read, narrating the things said by Death and by the living characters. The painting is one of the most complete of its kind and is unique in Europe. The modest church of Saint Orien de Meslay le Grenet is home to some rare and curious paintings: a Danse Macabre. The Danse Macabre was born amid the misery of the end of the Hundred Years War and shows a procession in which Death leads the way, followed by representatives of all the social classes. The Danse Macabre of Meslay le Grenet was painted in the last years of the 15th century and is composed of twenty couples on the east and west walls of the church. Under each couple, a text in old French can be read, narrating the things said by Death and by the living characters. The painting is one of the most complete of its kind and is unique in Europe.