Chapelle Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lantierne
MonumentHidden Treasure
Chapelle Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lantierne, located in Arzal (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
- Arzal, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.5280, -2.4008
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090983
Joyau roman du Morbihan, cette chapelle templière au clocher conique unique abrite huit autels médiévaux et un plan en T d'une rare complexité architecturale, témoignage vivant de huit siècles d'histoire religieuse.
History
In the heart of the Arzal region, on the edge of southern Brittany, the chapel of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lantierne stands like a stone sentinel in a typical Morbihan hedgerow landscape. Its singular bell tower, conical at the base before ending in a slender pyramid, distinguishes it at first glance from all the other chapels in the region and reveals the complexity of a building that has stood the test of time, accumulating layers of history. What makes Lantierne truly unique is the superimposition of two architectural souls that you feel as soon as you cross the threshold: the austere Romanesque style of the twelfth century, marked by its sober, powerful semi-circular arches, dialogues with the seventeenth-century additions without ever contradicting each other. The asymmetrical T-shaped plan - the north transept set back from the south transept, which is aligned with the chevet - creates unexpected interior perspectives and plays on light and shadow, which the Templar builders seem to have orchestrated with consummate skill. A visit to the church reveals a major surprise: no fewer than eight altars, some of which probably date back to the 13th century, fill the interior space. This liturgical profusion, rare for a chapel of this size, bears witness to the spiritual and economic importance that this place held for the military orders that successively ruled it. Each altar is a fragment of medieval devotion, an object of contemplation for lovers of sacred art. The exterior setting is also an integral part of the experience. Isolated from the road, surrounded by its Breton parish enclosure, the chapel enjoys a rare silence and serenity. Photographers will particularly appreciate the low-angled morning light on the western façade, which brings out the texture of the local granite. Families, Romanesque architecture enthusiasts and walkers in search of authenticity will all find something to suit them.
Architecture
The chapel of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lantierne has a particularly interesting asymmetrical T-shaped plan. The main nave is flanked by a single aisle to the north, opened onto the nave by two semi-circular arches, answered by two other arches in the transverse direction. The open bay is extended vertically to form a tower, crowned by the characteristic bell tower: conical at the base, it ends in a pyramid-shaped spire that gives the church its distinctive silhouette in the Morbihan landscape. The south transept is strictly aligned with the flat chevet, while the north transept is set back slightly, creating a clever irregularity reminiscent of certain solutions adopted in Templar commanderies for both practical and symbolic reasons. The interior elevation reveals all the power of the Breton Romanesque style: the soberly moulded semi-circular arches rest on massive pillars made of local granite, an omnipresent material in religious construction in medieval Morbihan. The eight altars, several of which appear to date back to the 13th century, occupy the various chapels and niches in the building, giving it a decorative and liturgical density that is unusual for a rural chapel of this size. A lintel bearing the date 1627 or 1629 shows the additions made in the 17th century, when the building was enlarged and some of the openings were probably redesigned to improve natural lighting in the nave.
Related Figures
Les Templiers du Morbihan — fondateurs et premiers maîtres de la chapelle au XIIe sièclePhilippe IV le Bel — roi de France dont la politique mit fin à la possession templière (1312)Les Hospitaliers de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem — héritiers des biens templiers et gardiens de Lantierne du XIVe au XVIIIe siècleLe maître d'œuvre anonyme de 1627-1629 — auteur de l'agrandissement baroque inscrit sur le linteauAndré Malraux — ministre des Affaires culturelles sous la présidence duquel fut signé l'arrêté de classement MH en 1964
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chapelle Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lantierne located?
Chapelle Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lantierne is located in Arzal, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Chapelle Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lantierne built?
Chapelle Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lantierne dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Chapelle Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lantierne open to visitors?
Chapelle Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lantierne is currently closed to visitors.
