Chapelle Notre-Dame de Luzurgan
MonumentHidden Treasure
Chapelle Notre-Dame de Luzurgan, located in Plescop (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
- Plescop, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.6952, -2.8448
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091475
Nestling in Plescop, this 15th-century Gothic chapel boasts a carved frame of rare finesse: crocodiles, fleurons and quatrefoils bear witness to the genius of Breton medieval craftsmanship.
History
In the heart of Morbihan, just a few kilometres from Vannes, the Notre-Dame de Luzurgan chapel stands discreetly in the rural landscape of Plescop like a Gothic jewel, all too often overlooked by mainstream tourist routes. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1951, it nevertheless contains architectural treasures of remarkable sophistication for a building of its size. What strikes you as soon as you enter is the exposed framework: a work of art in itself. The runners are adorned with sculpted figures - faces, stylised foliage, heraldic crests and finials - revealing the hand of Breton carpenters with a mastery of both technique and religious iconography. The crocodile-headed carcasses are undoubtedly the most unusual and enigmatic element of the ensemble: these hybrid creatures, half-real beasts and half-fantastical monsters, are a reminder that medieval thought readily intertwined the sacred and symbolic bestiary. The south wall of the chapel offers a lesson in flamboyant Gothic architecture in miniature. Two doorways of differing character coexist here: one a simple, unadorned ogive, the other topped by a moulded brace that extends in elegant curves over the jambs, framed by two ogival mullioned windows with lobed and quatrefoil fenestration. This formal duality between sobriety and ornament is characteristic of 15th-century Breton Gothic. Attentive visitors will want to take the time to contemplate the gable end of the apse, pierced by a beautiful three-mullioned window combined with a rose with quatrefoils - a luminous composition that bathes the apse in a soft, golden light in the early hours of the morning. The atmosphere inside is intimate and contemplative, inviting meditation as much as architectural observation. The surrounding countryside, with its Morbihan bocage and sunken lanes, lends an appreciable bucolic dimension to the visit. Luzurgan is a place where time seems to stand still, a place to contemplate and rediscover the unsuspected wealth of Breton rural heritage.
Architecture
The Notre-Dame de Luzurgan chapel has a simple rectangular plan, typical of 15th-century Breton rural chapels, with no transept or side aisles. This volumetric sobriety contrasts with the decorative richness of certain interior elements, creating an expressive tension typical of the regional Gothic style. The most remarkable feature is undoubtedly the exposed roof timbers, whose runners - horizontal pieces of wood that crown the eaves walls - are sculpted with human or fantastical figures, fleurons and heraldic escutcheons. The crossbeams, which ensure the stability of the structure, have ends carved into crocodile heads, a singular iconographic motif that is rare in Breton religious architecture. This hybrid fauna, borrowed from medieval bestiary, underlines the importance attached to symbolism in the ornamentation of the roof structure. The south wall forms the main façade of the chapel. Two doors open onto it: the first, a simple pointed arch with no moulding, is austerely constructed; the second, with a corbelled lintel, is topped by a moulded brace whose curves continue elegantly onto the jambs, providing a fine example of the flamboyant Gothic decorative vocabulary. Two ogival mullioned windows with elongated lobes and quatrefoils flank this second door. The chevet gable features a window with three mullions combined with a rose with quatrefoils, a luminous composition characteristic of late Breton Gothic. The materials used - local granite for the masonry and oak for the roof structure - are in keeping with the building tradition of Morbihan.
Related Figures
Évêques de Vannes (XVe siècle) — commanditaires présumés, liés à la maison d'été de LuzurganProsper Mérimée — Inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques, pionnier de la protection du patrimoine médiéval bretonArtisans charpentiers bretons anonymes (XVe siècle) — auteurs de la remarquable charpente sculptée
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chapelle Notre-Dame de Luzurgan located?
Chapelle Notre-Dame de Luzurgan is located in Plescop, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Chapelle Notre-Dame de Luzurgan built?
Chapelle Notre-Dame de Luzurgan dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Chapelle Notre-Dame de Luzurgan open to visitors?
Chapelle Notre-Dame de Luzurgan is currently closed to visitors.