Chapelle de Saint-Nicodème
MonumentHidden Treasure
Chapelle de Saint-Nicodème, located in Pluméliau (Département 56), 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
- Pluméliau, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.9795, -3.0130
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091546
Joyau flamboyant du Morbihan, la chapelle Saint-Nicodème dresse son clocher de 46 mètres au cœur de Pluméliau, flanquée d'une fontaine à trois piscines datée de 1608, chef-d'œuvre de la dévotion bretonne.
History
In the heart of rural Morbihan, in Pluméliau, the chapel of Saint-Nicodème stands out as one of the most unusual religious monuments in inland Brittany. Its square bell-tower, crowned by a slender spire rising to a height of 46 metres, dominates the surrounding moorland and, from afar, announces the existence of an extraordinary building. This vertical landmark, which is both a spiritual landmark and a technical feat, belongs to the large family of Breton bell towers that rivalled each other in height and daring during the Renaissance. What makes Saint-Nicodème truly unique is the coherence and richness of its monumental ensemble. The chapel cannot be visited on its own: it is accompanied by a three-pool fountain dating from 1608, whose small porches with sharp pediments and flamboyant ornamentation form a picture of rare late-Gothic elegance. Further on, a second fountain dedicated to Saint Cornély, built in 1790, completes this landscape of devotion where stone and water have been responding to each other for centuries. Few Breton buildings offer such continuity between sacred architecture and ritual water features. Inside, visitors will discover a beautifully homogeneous Latin cross-shaped space, where flamboyant mullioned windows diffuse a subdued light over extraordinarily fine carved sablières. The work of 16th-century Breton carpenters reached a level of excellence comparable to the most famous parish enclosures in Finistère. The Renaissance stone gallery in the north transept adds a touch of classical elegance to this resolutely Gothic interior, bearing witness to the eclectic tastes of the donors in the second half of the 16th century. The experience of visiting Saint-Nicodème is that of an authentic monument, preserved from the tourist crowds that invade the large parish enclosures. Here, the silence and vegetation surrounding the building contribute to an atmosphere of contemplation that lovers of rural heritage will particularly appreciate. Photographers will find the relationship between the bell tower, the fountains and the Morbihan landscape to be an extremely beautiful composition, particularly in the golden hour of the morning or late afternoon.
Architecture
The Saint-Nicodème chapel has a Latin cross floor plan, a classic layout for major Breton chapels that sought to distinguish themselves from simple parish oratories. The bell tower, the most spectacular feature of the ensemble, takes the form of a massive square tower, the base of which houses a porch opening directly onto the nave - a functional arrangement inherited from the great medieval collegiate churches. The octagonal spire that crowns this tower raises the building to 46 metres, a remarkable height for a rural chapel and a testament to the ambition of its patrons. The decorative vocabulary is resolutely flamboyant: the windows are decorated with mullions with curves and counter-curves characteristic of late Gothic, while the sablières - the horizontal structural members visible from the nave - are adorned with figurative and plant sculptures of a high quality of execution. The square of the transept is marked by an openwork bell tower housing the precious bell dating from 1507. In stark stylistic contrast, the north transept features a stone gallery adorned with Renaissance motifs, pilasters and entablatures, bearing witness to the influence of new formal repertoires in 16th-century Brittany. The 1608 fountain is a masterpiece of devotional hydraulic architecture. Its three pools, each protected by a small aedicula with an acute pediment and flamboyant ornamentation, form a coherent ornamental ensemble that extends the aesthetics of the chapel into the exterior space. Constructed from local granite, a material that is ubiquitous in Breton architecture, the ensemble has a warm, chromatic unity, ranging from bluish grey to ochre depending on exposure and humidity.
Related Figures
Saint Nicodème — disciple de Jésus selon l'Évangile de Jean, patron de la chapelle, dont le culte local témoigne des dévotions particulières de la Bretagne intérieureSaint Cornély — saint patron des bêtes à cornes, dont la fontaine de 1790 perpétue le culte très répandu dans le MorbihanLes maîtres d'œuvre anonymes du XVIe siècle — tailleurs de pierre bretons qui ont façonné les meneaux flamboyants et les sablières sculptéesLes seigneurs locaux de Pluméliau — donateurs et commanditaires vraisemblables des enrichissements Renaissance du transept nord au XVIe siècleLes fabriciens de la paroisse (1608) — commanditaires de la fontaine tripartite, témoins de la vitalité dévotionnelle post-tridentine
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chapelle de Saint-Nicodème located?
Chapelle de Saint-Nicodème is located in Pluméliau, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Chapelle de Saint-Nicodème built?
Chapelle de Saint-Nicodème dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Chapelle de Saint-Nicodème open to visitors?
Chapelle de Saint-Nicodème is currently closed to visitors.
