Chapelle Notre-Dame d'Avaugour
MonumentHidden Treasure
Chapelle Notre-Dame d'Avaugour, located in Saint-Péver (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-Péver, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.4920, -3.1168
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089653
Nestling in the heart of the Côtes-d'Armor region, Notre-Dame d'Avaugour chapel boasts a Gothic bell tower and private chapel separated by an elegant double archway, a surviving witness to the troubles of the Breton ducal succession.
History
At the bend in the leafy lanes of Saint-Péver, in the Côtes-d'Armor region, the chapel of Notre-Dame d'Avaugour stands out like an intact fragment of the Breton Middle Ages. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1957, it belongs to the family of rural chapels that dot the Armorican countryside, born of popular piety and the generosity of the lords, and which today make up one of the most moving heritages of inland Brittany. What immediately sets Notre-Dame d'Avaugour apart is the discreet sophistication of its architecture. The rectangular nave ends in two gables, the entrance gable crowned by a bell-wall, a typically Breton motif that gives the building its distinctive silhouette. To the west, a small openwork bell tower adorns the gable with a lightness that is almost surprising for its time. But it's to the south that the building's true uniqueness is revealed: a private square chapel, once reserved for a local noble family, opens onto the nave through a double archway, the elegance of which contrasts with the overall sobriety of the building. To visit the Avaugour chapel is to return to the depths of Brittany, far from the beaten tourist track. The building, now disused, retains an atmosphere of contemplation and authenticity that few monuments can match. The stones, most of which were rebuilt in the second half of the 15th century after the ravages of the war of succession to the Duchy of Brittany, seem to carry within them the memory of the tribulations of a people and a province. The surrounding countryside, typical of the bocage of the Costarmor region, reinforces this feeling of precious isolation. Hundred-year-old oaks, sunken paths and the silence of the countryside create a natural setting that invites you to stroll and contemplate. For photographers, the low-angled morning or evening light sublimates the stone reliefs and the play of shadows cast by the bell tower-wall. For medieval history buffs, each layer of masonry is a living document of the political upheavals that shaped Brittany.
Architecture
The layout of Notre-Dame d'Avaugour chapel is typical of the small Breton religious buildings of the late Middle Ages: a single rectangular nave, simple and compact, closed at either end by carefully treated gables. The east gable, on the chancel side, adopts the sober verticality customary of these rural buildings, while the west gable, pierced by an entrance door, is distinguished by the presence of a bell-wall. This typically Breton feature, which replaces the usual bell tower with an openwork wall rising above the ridge, gives the building its most emblematic silhouette. A small, remarkably light, openwork bell tower adorns the western gable, interacting with the bell tower wall in a carefully composed visual balance. The most significant feature of the layout is the square private chapel attached to the south side of the nave. This autonomous volume, characteristic of Breton seigneurial patronage, opens onto the nave through a double arcade, the elegant proportions of which betray the particular care taken with this architectural junction. This archway, the real centrepiece of the building, provides a symbolic separation between the community space and the space reserved for the founding family, while maintaining visual and liturgical continuity between the two volumes. The materials used are those traditionally employed in the Costarmorican bocage: local granite for the walls and sculpted elements, whose rough texture and grey and golden tones depending on exposure to light give the whole its robustness so characteristic of Breton architecture. The meticulous execution of the arches and pedestals of the double arcade contrasts with the relative austerity of the exterior cladding, revealing the priorities of a building site that reserved its decorative efforts for the most significant interior spaces.
Related Figures
Famille d'Avaugour — grande lignée comtale bretonne dont le nom est attaché à la fondation de la chapelleComtes de Penthièvre — seigneurs suzerains de la région de Saint-Péver, acteurs indirects du mécénat localJean IV de Bretagne — duc de Bretagne de la maison de Montfort, dont la victoire dans la guerre de succession influa sur le destin de la chapelleFamille seigneuriale locale (anonyme) — commanditaires présumés de la chapelle privative méridionale au XVe siècleArchitectes et maîtres d'œuvre bretons du XVe siècle — artisans anonymes de la reconstruction de l'édifice après les destructions
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chapelle Notre-Dame d'Avaugour located?
Chapelle Notre-Dame d'Avaugour is located in Saint-Péver, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Chapelle Notre-Dame d'Avaugour built?
Chapelle Notre-Dame d'Avaugour dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Chapelle Notre-Dame d'Avaugour open to visitors?
Chapelle Notre-Dame d'Avaugour is currently closed to visitors.
