For a few days, Château-du-Loir (Sarthe) feared that the showers would transform the Saint-Guingalois church into a vast water feature.
Eight of its rainwater downspouts were stolen during the night of February 27 to 28, leaving gutters pouring into the void.
Nearly 30 m of pipes have disappeared.
“Some were made of zinc, others of copper, a highly sought-after metal,” explains the town hall of Montval-sur-Loir to which Château-du-Loir is attached.
The building, built from the 11th century in the heart of the old town and listed as a historic monument since 1967, underwent an exemplary restoration completed in 2012. Duration of the project: six years.
Cost: more than a million euros.
It was to respect the rules of the art that the descents had been made in copper.
The amount of repairs is currently being evaluated.
In the meantime, the missing elements will be replaced by a temporary device.
Zinc trades around €1.20 per kilo and copper at almost 6 euros
The municipality is reluctant to report the incident to its insurance for fear of seeing the premium increase and thus losing on both counts.
This type of theft committed in religious buildings has been on the rise for several months.
Among metal recyclers, zinc trades at around €1.20 per kilo and copper at almost 6 euros.
Surveillance of Saint-Guingalois, which houses works of art and organs, whose buffet is also classified, will be reinforced.