Chapelle de Perros-Hamon
MonumentHidden Treasure
Chapelle de Perros-Hamon, located in Ploubazlanec (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
- Ploubazlanec, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.8018, -3.0191
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089464
Nestling in Ploubazlanec, the chapel of Perros-Hamon boasts an 18th-century Breton façade adorned with three statue niches and a soberly elegant gabled bell tower. A discreet jewel of maritime Trégor.
History
In the heart of the Ploubazlanec region, on the Goëlo coast facing the Trieux estuary, the chapel of Perros-Hamon stands out as one of those rural Breton buildings that concentrate all the fervour and know-how of a maritime community in just a few square metres. Discreet from the road, on approach it reveals a remarkably coherent western façade, crowned by a gabled bell tower whose silhouette stands out clearly against the often dramatic skies of the Côtes-d'Armor. What makes Perros-Hamon truly unique is the generosity of its exterior sculptural programme. Three corbelled niches adorn the west gable, each housing a statue whose presence transforms the façade into a veritable open-air stone iconostasis. The southern porch adds a fourth niche with its own statue, topped by a sculpted cushion that betrays the care given to every detail - an unusual luxury for an 18th-century Breton country chapel. The interior is surprisingly cosy. The panelled, barrel-arched roof gives the nave a warm intimacy that the great cathedrals cannot offer. The Latin cross layout - nave, transept, flat chevet - creates a quiet space where light filters in sparingly, inviting contemplation as much as architectural observation. The natural setting enhances the charm of the place: Ploubazlanec is the commune of the sailors, the commune of the Icelanders' memorial, and the chapel of Perros-Hamon is part of this territory imbued with the memory of the fishermen who left for the banks of Newfoundland and Iceland. To visit this building is to immerse yourself in the depths of Brittany, far from the usual tourist circuits, where heritage still blends in with people's lives.
Architecture
The chapel at Perros-Hamon has a simple Latin cross plan, built around a single nave, a projecting transept and a flat apse - a common feature of 18th-century Breton rural religious architecture, which favoured functional clarity over spatial experimentation. The building is modest in size, on the scale of a hamlet community, which reinforces its intimate, contemplative character. The exterior elevation is the real architectural interest of the building. The western facade features a straight-sloped gable crowned by a gabled bell tower pierced by roof lights, a typically Breton formula that saves on the mass of a tower while ensuring the bell tower's sonorous presence in the landscape. Three corbelled niches, carved into the masonry and each adorned with a statue resting on a sculpted bracket, punctuate the façade with hieratic regularity. The south porch, set slightly forward, repeats this iconographic programme with a fourth niche and a sculpted apex, a detail that reveals a concern for decorative coherence that is unusual for a building of this size. The interior is dominated by the panelled barrel vault that covers the nave, giving it a hushed acoustic and a warm atmosphere. The building materials used are those of the region: Brittany granite, which is ubiquitous in the region, carefully cut for the sculpted elements and rubble stone for the standard masonry. The roof, probably made of Anjou or local slate, is in keeping with the North Brittany building tradition.
Related Figures
Artisans tailleurs de pierre bretons du XVIIIe siècle (auteurs du décor sculpté des niches et consoles)Communauté paroissiale de Ploubazlanec (commanditaires et financeurs présumés de la chapelle)Inspecteurs des monuments historiques (auteurs de l'inscription protectrice de 1925)Pêcheurs islandais de Ploubazlanec (dédicataires symboliques de la dévotion abritée par la chapelle)
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chapelle de Perros-Hamon located?
Chapelle de Perros-Hamon is located in Ploubazlanec, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Chapelle de Perros-Hamon built?
Chapelle de Perros-Hamon dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Chapelle de Perros-Hamon open to visitors?
Chapelle de Perros-Hamon is currently closed to visitors.