Ancienne chapelle Saint-Yves
MonumentHidden Treasure
Ancienne chapelle Saint-Yves, located in Rennes (Département 35), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Rennes, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.1105, -1.6828
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090676
Discrète mais chargée d'histoire royale, la chapelle Saint-Yves de Rennes conserve le souvenir du mariage d'Anne de Bretagne et de Charles VIII, dans son écrin gothique flamboyant du XVIe siècle.
History
In the heart of Rennes, nestling in the dense urban fabric of the old centre, Saint-Yves chapel is one of those monuments that you could almost miss, and certainly shouldn't. Sober and compact, its stones hold one of Brittany's most romantic memories. Sober and compact, its stones hold one of Brittany's most romantic memories: that of the marriage of Anne of Brittany, the last sovereign duchess, to the French king Charles VIII. A seminal event, sealed within the intimacy of these walls, which would forever link the destiny of Brittany to that of France. What immediately sets this building apart is the quality of its gabled facade, a remarkable example of Breton late Gothic art as practised at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. The entrance door, with its semi-circular arch, is striking for its restrained elegance, framed by finely chiselled mouldings. Above, three empty niches - the statues of which have disappeared over the centuries - give the façade a silent majesty, a beauty that is both austere and racy, entirely Breton in its rejection of superfluous ornamentation. The chapel once belonged to a hospice, and its original position, facing the Vilaine river, gave it a very different presence to the one it has today. Successive urban transformations have redeveloped its surroundings, but have not affected the integrity of its rectangular nave, which has long been preserved by virtue of its use as a hospital and its protection as a Historic Monument since 1945. To visit Saint-Yves chapel is to slow down and listen to the stones. It doesn't take hours to visit the chapel, but it does demand close attention to the sculpted details, the sober layout and the façade, which speaks in hushed tones of a proud Brittany and a dynastic union that changed the course of history. For lovers of medieval architecture, royal history and authentic Breton heritage, this is a must-see when exploring old Rennes.
Architecture
Saint-Yves chapel is part of the flamboyant Breton Gothic tradition that flourished at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, characterised by a sober ornamental style that contrasts with the exuberance of some of the great continental cathedrals. The layout of the building is of great functional simplicity: a single rectangular nave, with no aisles or transept, reflecting its vocation as both a church and a hospital. This sobriety of plan, far from being a shortcoming, gives the whole a remarkable architectural coherence and legibility. The main façade is the real jewel in the crown. This is a typical late Gothic motif, where the curve of the arch flattens out and is enhanced by an elegantly scrolled accolade. The fine craftsmanship of this doorway testifies to the skill of Breton stonemasons of the period. Above this entrance, three superimposed niches or niches arranged in register once housed statues - probably of the patron saint and devout figures - whose disappearance today leaves alcoves with finely moulded Gothic silhouettes. The materials used are those of the building tradition in Rennes and Brittany: local granite, a hard and noble stone, whose grey hue gives the building its characteristic severity. The nave has a gable roof with the steep slope typical of regions with high rainfall. Thanks to its controlled proportions and the quality of its construction, the building is a precious example of Breton urban religious architecture from the early 16th century.
Related Figures
Anne de Bretagne — duchesse souveraine de Bretagne, dont le mariage avec Charles VIII est commémoré par ce lieuCharles VIII — roi de France, époux d'Anne de Bretagne, figure centrale de l'union franco-bretonneSaint Yves de Kermartin — saint patron de la chapelle, avocat des pauvres et figure spirituelle de toute la BretagneLouis XII — second époux d'Anne de Bretagne après la mort de Charles VIII, dont la politique bretonne prolongea l'héritage de l'unionLes chanoines et administrateurs de l'hospice — gestionnaires médiévaux et modernes de la chapelle et de l'institution charitable attenante
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ancienne chapelle Saint-Yves located?
Ancienne chapelle Saint-Yves is located in Rennes, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Ancienne chapelle Saint-Yves built?
Ancienne chapelle Saint-Yves dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Ancienne chapelle Saint-Yves open to visitors?
Ancienne chapelle Saint-Yves is currently closed to visitors.
