Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Encontre à Saint-Samson
MonumentHidden Treasure
Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Encontre à Saint-Samson, located in Rohan (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
- Rohan, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.0683, -2.7494
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091646
A 16th-century Gothic gem built by Jean II de Rohan, Anne de Bretagne's uncle, this granite and schist chapel features an elegant polygonal apse and a remarkable choir screen in carved chestnut wood.
History
Nestling in the market town of Rohan, in the heart of Morbihan, the chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Encontre is one of those nuggets of Breton Gothic art that you discover with the emotion of a treasure hunter. Founded in 1510 by Jean II de Rohan, a leading Breton nobleman and uncle of the famous Anne de Bretagne, it embodies the noble piety and artistic refinement of the nascent Renaissance in Brittany. What immediately sets this building apart from the many chapels in the region is the quality and coherence of its architectural plan: a nave, transept and polygonal apse forming a balanced whole, lit by the chromatic duality of grey granite and slate schist, two materials emblematic of the Breton countryside. The light filtering through the Gothic windows gives the interior a rare atmosphere of contemplation. Inside, there's a surprise in store: an exceptionally well-crafted chestnut choir screen, with openwork and carved panels that bear witness to the skills of Breton carpenters in the early 16th century. This piece of liturgical cabinetwork, both functional and decorative, structures the sacred space with sober, controlled elegance. On the nave side, the main entrance opens onto the south side through a moulded semi-circular portal crowned with a fleuron and bracket brace, a signature of the flamboyant Gothic vocabulary in vogue at the time. On the north transept, a turret with a spiral staircase is reminiscent of contemporary châteaux and reminds us that the great seigneurial families made their mark even in their religious foundations. To visit Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Encontre is to enter a suspended time when the faith of the Lords of Rohan, allies of the Dukes of Brittany, is still in dialogue with stone and wood. For lovers of medieval heritage, photographers in search of intimate views or curious walkers, this listed monument offers an authentic experience, far removed from the tourist crowds.
Architecture
Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Encontre chapel belongs to the Breton Gothic style of the late Middle Ages, characterised by sober volumes, robust local materials and sculpted decoration concentrated on a few strategic elements. The building is made of granite and schist, the two rocks that are omnipresent in the subsoil of Morbihan, giving it the austere, mineral face that is so typical of inland Brittany. It has a Latin cross floor plan, built around a single nave, a transept and a polygonal apse flanked to the north by a sacristy, a classic layout for Breton seigneurial chapels in the early 16th century. On the outside, the southern portal immediately catches the eye: its moulded semi-circular arch, topped by a concentric brace embellished with a finial and leafy hooks, is an eloquent example of flamboyant Gothic vocabulary. On the north transept, a polygonal turret housing a spiral staircase leads to the attic, a characteristic feature of noble buildings of the period. The buttresses, which punctuate the façades at regular intervals, once bore coats of arms under their upper glazes, but these have now been removed. The interior reveals a highly coherent space. The sacristy, accessible from the chancel via a wide archway, is separated from the liturgical area by a remarkable chestnut fence - a robust, hard-wearing species favoured in Brittany for fine woodwork. This enclosure is made up of alternating openwork and sculpted panels framing central panels, all enhanced by "napkin" panelling in the lower section, a pleated motif characteristic of the early Renaissance. Two doors in this enclosure give access to the sacristy and the pulpit staircase respectively, demonstrating the functional rigour with which the whole was organised.
Related Figures
Jean II de Rohan — vicomte de Rohan, fondateur de la chapelle en 1510Anne de Bretagne — nièce de Jean II de Rohan, duchesse de Bretagne et reine de France, figure tutélaire du contexte historiqueCharles VIII — roi de France, premier époux d'Anne de Bretagne, contemporain de la constructionLouis XII — roi de France, second époux d'Anne de Bretagne, régnant au moment de la fondationLes artisans maçons et menuisiers bretons — auteurs anonymes de la clôture de chœur en châtaignier et du portail sculpté
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Encontre à Saint-Samson located?
Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Encontre à Saint-Samson is located in Rohan, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Encontre à Saint-Samson built?
Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Encontre à Saint-Samson dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Encontre à Saint-Samson open to visitors?
Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Encontre à Saint-Samson is currently closed to visitors.