Chapelle de Kerfons-en-Kerfaouës
MonumentHidden Treasure
Chapelle de Kerfons-en-Kerfaouës, located in Ploubezre (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
- Ploubezre, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.6870, -3.4255
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089466
Joyau gothique flamboyant du Trégor, la chapelle de Kerfons abrite un jubé en bois polychrome de 1485 d'une rare perfection, chef-d'œuvre d'un atelier morlaisien au cœur de la campagne bretonne.
History
Nestling in the green hills of the Trégor region, on the outskirts of the village of Ploubezre, the chapel of Kerfons-en-Kerfaouës is one of the most beautiful rural chapels in the Côtes-d'Armor. Founded by the powerful lords of Coatfrec, it is distinguished by the harmonious superimposition of two styles: the flamboyant Gothic of the nave and north chapel, and the gentle Renaissance of the south chapel. This stylistic cohabitation, far from being a flaw, tells the story of several centuries of Breton history. What makes Kerfons absolutely unique is its interior rood screen in polychrome wood, dated 1485. A rare survivor of a type of liturgical furnishings often destroyed during the Wars of Religion or the Revolution, this choir screen features five pointed pointed arches separated by strikingly elegant twisted columns. The colours, partially preserved, hint at the original splendour of the whole. Morlaix was a prosperous town at the time, open to Flemish maritime trade, and one of Brittany's great artistic centres. The tau-shaped plan - a three-pointed cross with a central nave flanked by two side chapels - is characteristic of religious buildings in medieval Trégor. It gives the interior an unexpected breadth for a rural chapel, creating different perspectives depending on the visitor's position. The light filtering through the Gothic windows bathes the rood screen in a soft glow, ideal for appreciating the sculpted details. The chapel stands in a typically Breton setting, surrounded by old trees and low granite walls. The sober façade, with its slightly weathered grey granite, stands in stark contrast to the richness of the interior, providing a surprise for those who push open the door. It's a monument that rewards curiosity and a diversion.
Architecture
The chapel at Kerfons-en-Kerfaouës has a tau-shaped plan, typical of religious buildings in medieval Trégor: a central nave flanked by two side chapels to the north and south, forming a three-pointed cross with no transept to the east. Although modest in size, this plan creates a generous space and a clear liturgical organisation. The building is constructed from local granite, a material that is ubiquitous in northern Brittany, and whose bluish-grey tones blend into the surrounding hedged farmland. The nave and north chapel, built in the first quarter of the 15th century, illustrate the Breton flamboyant Gothic style in all its rigour: pointed arches, slender mouldings and finely worked stonework bays. The southern chapel, built in 1559, introduces the Renaissance vocabulary, with windows in moulded frames and more classical modelling. The interior reveals the monument's treasure: the rood screen from 1485, a polychrome wooden choir screen of exceptional sculptural quality. It is made up of five pointed arches, separated by twisted columns decorated with hooks and fleurons characteristic of the late flamboyant style. Traces of polychrome - reds, ochres and blues - remind us that these sculptures were originally entirely painted, transforming the interior into a veritable jewel box of colour. The Morlaix workshop that created the rood screen combined the Gothic tradition with a decorative inventiveness typical of 15th-century Brittany, making it one of the most remarkable rood screens of its kind still in situ in France.
Related Figures
Seigneurs de Coatfrec (Coëtfrec) — famille noble du Trégor, fondateurs et principaux mécènes de la chapelle du XVe au XVIe siècleMaîtres sculpteurs de l'atelier morlaisien — auteurs anonymes du jubé polychrome de 1485, figures majeures de l'art gothique bretonCharles de Blois — prétendant au duché de Bretagne pendant la guerre de Succession, dont les campagnes militaires détruisirent la chapelle primitive au XIVe siècleJean IV de Montfort — duc de Bretagne victorieux, sous le règne duquel débuta la reconstruction de nombreux édifices religieux ravagés par la guerre de SuccessionInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (début XXe siècle) — responsables de la reconnaissance et du classement de la chapelle en 1910
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chapelle de Kerfons-en-Kerfaouës located?
Chapelle de Kerfons-en-Kerfaouës is located in Ploubezre, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Chapelle de Kerfons-en-Kerfaouës built?
Chapelle de Kerfons-en-Kerfaouës dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Chapelle de Kerfons-en-Kerfaouës open to visitors?
Chapelle de Kerfons-en-Kerfaouës is currently closed to visitors.
