Chapelle de Burthulet
MonumentHidden Treasure
Chapelle de Burthulet, located in Saint-Servais (Département 22), 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
- Saint-Servais, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.4032, -3.3532
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089657
Nestled in the moors of Trégor, the chapel at Burthulet features a Latin cross plan and preserves a rare fragment of a carved rood screen depicting the apostles, a jewel of 16th- and 17th-century Breton piety.
History
In the heart of the countryside around Saint-Servais, in the Côtes-d'Armor department, the Burthulet chapel stands out as one of those discreet buildings that capture the very soul of Brittany's religious heritage. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1968, it soberly embodies the architecture of the rural chapels of the Trégor region, built at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries in a wave of popular fervour that had a lasting impact on the spiritual landscape of inland Brittany. What sets Burthulet apart from the countless chapels in the region is above all the exceptional presence of a fragment of rood screen preserved as an interior balustrade. These liturgical fences, which once separated the choir reserved for the clergy from the nave open to the faithful, were destroyed en masse in France from the 18th century onwards. The one at Burthulet, decorated with finely sculpted figures of apostles, is a rare example of medieval and post-medieval Breton religious statuary. A visit to the chapel offers an experience of meditation and contemplation that is rarely found in major tourist monuments. The light filtering through the windows, the fresh atmosphere of the stone, the quality of the sculptures: everything contributes to an intimate encounter with a popular art of great sophistication. Lovers of Christian iconography will linger at length over the rood screen, trying to identify each of the apostles by their traditional attributes. The exterior setting adds to the charm of the place. Like most Breton chapels, Burthulet is surrounded by a parish enclosure or grassy area that used to be the site of the great pardon assemblies, religious and popular festivals that brought together the faithful from all over the surrounding region. This community dimension, now silent, can still be seen in the generous proportions of the building, clearly designed to accommodate a large audience.
Architecture
The Burthulet chapel has a Latin cross floor plan, a classic layout in Breton religious architecture that symbolically affirms the Christ-like dimension of the building while allowing the liturgical space to be organised in a functional way. The central nave is flanked by two aisles of two bays each, giving the whole a breath of fresh air that contrasts with the usual austerity of rural chapels. To the south, the porch - an almost systematic feature of Breton chapels - marks the main entrance and was traditionally a transitional space between the secular world and the sacred space, often used for weekly services or parish assemblies. Externally, the building would have been typical of late Breton Gothic: local granite, prominent buttresses, stone mullioned windows and a low-pitched roof covered in local slate. The sober ornamentation of the façade and elevations, typical of the region, contrasts with the richness of the interior decoration and confirms that the architects' main concern was to protect the sculpted programme from the elements. Inside, the most precious element is undoubtedly the fragment of rood screen reused as a balustrade, decorated with figures of the apostles. Originally, each figure was distinguished by his or her traditional iconographic attributes - the keys of Saint Peter, the sword of Saint Paul, the square of Saint Thomas, etc. - providing the illiterate faithful with a unique opportunity to learn about the apostles. - The quality of the carving testifies to the quality of the work. The quality of the carving bears witness to an experienced workshop, perhaps linked to the major carving projects in the Trégor region in the 16th or 17th century.
Related Figures
Artisans maçons et sculpteurs du Trégor (XVIe-XVIIe siècles), bâtisseurs anonymes de la chapelleMembres de la fabrique paroissiale de Saint-Servais, financeurs présumés du jubé sculptéÉvêques du diocèse de Tréguier, autorité ecclésiastique supervisant les constructions religieuses localesPrêtres desservants de Burthulet, gardiens de la chapelle à travers les sièclesInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit le dossier de classement en 1968
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chapelle de Burthulet located?
Chapelle de Burthulet is located in Saint-Servais, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Chapelle de Burthulet built?
Chapelle de Burthulet dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Chapelle de Burthulet open to visitors?
Chapelle de Burthulet is currently closed to visitors.