Chapelle Saint-Yves
MonumentHidden Treasure
Chapelle Saint-Yves, located in Plésidy (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
- Plésidy, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.4478, -3.1196
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089419
Nichée dans les bocages du Trégor, la chapelle Saint-Yves de Plésidy déploie l'élégance sobre de la pierre bretonne du XVIe siècle, dédié au saint patron des juristes, vénéré dans toute la Bretagne.
History
In the heart of the Guingamp region, in the peaceful countryside of Plésidy, the chapel of Saint Yves rises with the discretion of rural Breton buildings that have survived the centuries without losing their soul. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1926, it bears witness to a lively devotion to Saint Yves of Tréguier, the most Breton of Breton saints, advocate of the poor canonised in 1347 and venerated patron saint of the whole Armorican peninsula. What makes this chapel so special is precisely the fact that it is so deeply rooted in the area: far from the great cathedrals or chapels of tourist fame, Saint-Yves de Plésidy belongs to the dense network of secondary places of worship that 16th-century Brittany sowed in profusion in its countryside. Every parish and every small village wanted to honour its patron saints in a dignified building, and the local kersanton and granite carvers vied with each other to produce frames, niches and bell-walls of remarkable quality. The experience of visiting the chapel is in keeping with the gentle countryside of the Costarmorican bocage: you approach the chapel along paths lined with hedgerows, in a silence where birdsong and the rustle of the wind in the chestnut trees mingle. The building, modest in size, is as much an invitation to interior contemplation as it is to architectural observation. Its balanced proportions, typical of the rural flamboyant Gothic style, create a harmony that is in no way detracted from by the patina of the grey granite stones. The surroundings of Plésidy, a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor region nestling between the valleys of the nascent Blavet river and the hills of central Brittany, offer visitors a complete change of scenery. The chapel is set in an unspoilt agricultural landscape, far from the main roads, where you can rediscover the true meaning of the word "pilgrimage": a walk to a place steeped in collective memory and popular fervour.
Architecture
The chapel of Saint-Yves in Plésidy is in the tradition of the Breton rural flamboyant Gothic style, characteristic of 16th-century buildings in the Côtes-d'Armor region. Built from local grey granite, it has a simple layout - a single nave or a nave with aisles - typical of rural devotional chapels, which did not seek to compete with the larger parishes but to provide a dignified and functional space for worship. The bell-wall, an emblematic feature of Breton religious architecture, probably tops the western façade, with one or two bays to house the bells. The exterior elevations undoubtedly display the formal characteristics of the period: buttresses with dripstones, windows with radiating Gothic or flamboyant mullions, and a moulded pointed arch portal with plain voussoirs. The roof, traditionally covered in local blue slate, follows the simple lines of the nave and the chevet, which is flat or slightly polygonal, as was customary at the time in this region. Inside, the space is punctuated by carved granite double arches resting on pillars or engaged columns. The antique furnishings - statues of Saint Yves in the costume of a lawyer holding his iconographic attributes, painted or sculpted altarpieces, baptismal fonts or holy water fonts in kersanton - are generally the main interest of Breton chapels of this type. The light filtered through the old or restored stained glass windows bathes the whole space in a semi-darkness that is conducive to contemplation.
Related Figures
Saint Yves de Tréguier (1253-1303) — avocat et clerc breton canonisé en 1347, saint patron de la chapelle, défenseur des pauvres et figure tutélaire de toute la BretagneSeigneurs locaux de Plésidy (XVIe siècle) — donateurs présumés ayant financé ou soutenu la construction de la chapelle selon la pratique des fondations pieuses nobiliairesRecteurs de la paroisse de Plésidy (XVIe-XIXe siècle) — clercs qui assurèrent la continuité du culte et l'entretien de l'édifice au fil des sièclesFélicité de Lamennais (1782-1854) — prêtre et philosophe breton dont l'influence contribua au renouveau de la dévotion populaire aux saints bretons au XIXe siècleInspecteur des Monuments Historiques (1926) — fonctionnaire anonyme dont le rapport motiva l'inscription protectrice de la chapelle le 31 mars 1926
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chapelle Saint-Yves located?
Chapelle Saint-Yves is located in Plésidy, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Chapelle Saint-Yves built?
Chapelle Saint-Yves dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Chapelle Saint-Yves open to visitors?
Chapelle Saint-Yves is currently closed to visitors.
