Chapelle Saint-Côme et ses abords
MonumentHidden Treasure
Chapelle Saint-Côme et ses abords, located in Saint-Nic (Département 29), 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-Nic, Département 29, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.1937, -4.2872
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090424
In the heart of Brittany's Finistère region, the chapel of Saint-Côme de Saint-Nic boasts a sculpted 17th-century framework of rare elegance, flanked by a Renaissance calvary and a bell tower with a spire that defies the skies of Armorique.
History
Nestling in the market town of Saint-Nic, at the foot of the Monts d'Arrée and just a stone's throw from the Crozon peninsula, the chapel of Saint-Côme is one of those discreet jewels of Breton heritage that hold unsuspected architectural delights in store for the attentive visitor. Dedicated to the doctor saints Como and Damian, patron saints of surgeons and apothecaries, it radiates a popular spirituality deeply rooted in the rural piety of the Finistère. What immediately sets Saint-Côme apart from the many chapels in Finistère is the exceptional quality of its interior framework. Dating from 1611, it features runners and crossbeams adorned with finely worked sculptures - human figures, plant motifs, grotesque heads - testifying to the skills of Breton carpenters in the late Renaissance. This woodwork is a veritable catalogue of Armorican folk art, a rare survivor of fire and time. The visit takes place in an atmosphere of intimate contemplation. The five-bay nave, flanked by two aisles, is bathed in light filtered through the large mullioned windows of the transept and choir, whose generosity is a reminder of the Renaissance influence on Breton religious architecture in the mid-16th century. The eye naturally wanders up to the sculpted framework, a veritable picture book suspended above the congregation. Outside, the small calvary dating from 1580 stands with its grey granite figures in the parish cemetery, in keeping with a long-established tradition in Lower Brittany. The steeple with its spire, added in the 17th century, punctuates the silhouette of the building with a slender verticality that stands out against the surrounding hedged farmland. For lovers of rural heritage, woodcarving and Breton religious architecture, Saint-Côme offers an authentic break from the crowds and conventional tourist routes.
Architecture
Saint-Côme chapel has a Latin cross plan, with a five-bay central nave flanked by two aisles, a projecting transept and a choir with a flat chevet - a typical configuration for large Breton chapels of the 16th century. The whole structure is built of grey granite from Finistère, a material that is both austere and enduring, giving the building that sober yet luminous hue so recognisable under the changing skies of Armorique. The exterior features a gabled window opened on the south side around 1540, and large mullioned windows in the transept and choir, whose Renaissance cut-outs add lightness and refinement. The 17th-century bell tower with its spire, set on a square tower, completes the vertical composition of the building. The interior reveals the chapel's main treasure: the panelled roof frame dating from 1611, whose runners and crossbeams are entirely covered in wood carvings. Figures of saints, grotesque heads, foliage and narrative scenes follow one another in a decorative profusion that is as much medieval bestiary as Renaissance ornament. This collective work, the fruit of the art of Breton carpenters in the early 17th century, is considered to be one of the most remarkable examples of sculpted carpentry preserved in Finistère. Outside, in the cemetery enclosure, the 1580 calvary completes the ensemble with its expressive granite figures, in the great tradition of Breton parish enclosures.
Related Figures
Saints Côme et Damien — saints patrons de la chapelle, médecins martyrs du IIIe siècle vénérés pour leurs guérisons miraculeusesMaîtres charpentiers bretons de 1611 — artisans anonymes auteurs de la remarquable charpente sculptéeSculpteurs du calvaire (vers 1580) — tailleurs de granite locaux ayant réalisé le petit calvaire paroissialParoissiens et fabrique de Saint-Nic (XVIe siècle) — commanditaires des campagnes d'agrandissement de 1540Inspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (1927-1947) — artisans de la protection patrimoniale de l'édifice
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chapelle Saint-Côme et ses abords located?
Chapelle Saint-Côme et ses abords is located in Saint-Nic, Département 29 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Chapelle Saint-Côme et ses abords built?
Chapelle Saint-Côme et ses abords dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Chapelle Saint-Côme et ses abords open to visitors?
Chapelle Saint-Côme et ses abords is currently closed to visitors.
