Eglise Notre-Dame des Grâces
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Notre-Dame des Grâces, located in Plusquellec (Département 22), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Church
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Plusquellec, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.3850, -3.4847
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089531
Au cœur du Trégor breton, l'église Notre-Dame des Grâces de Plusquellec dévoile un porche Renaissance exceptionnel orné d'une procession d'apôtres en granit, chef-d'œuvre de la statuaire bretonne du XVIe siècle.
History
Nestling in the rural market town of Plusquellec, in the Côtes-d'Armor region of Brittany, the church of Notre-Dame des Grâces is one of those Breton sanctuaries that are surprisingly rich in sculpted ornamentation, hidden away from the main tourist routes. Far from being a simple country chapel, it is a first-rate testimony to the artistic vitality of Brittany during the Renaissance, a time when the prosperity of the linen and cloth trade enabled even the most modest parishes to rival the great cities in terms of ambition. What immediately sets Notre-Dame des Grâces apart from the hundreds of other Breton religious buildings is its monumental porch and its procession of apostles sculpted from local granite. These severe, expressive statues give the façade an almost theatrical solemnity. Each apostle, attribute in hand, seems to stand guard for eternity, watching over the faithful as they cross the threshold - a liturgical and artistic setting typical of what the Bretons called "apostle porches", the most famous examples of which adorn Quimper Cathedral or the parish enclosures of Finistère. The tour invites you to stroll slowly and attentively. You have to take the time to stop in front of each sculpted figure, to read in the features worn down by the centuries the skill of anonymous stonemasons whose talent defies oblivion. The interior, sober and restrained as befits a rural church, also contains a number of treasures: antique furniture and decorative elements that bear witness to the tenacious Marian piety of the local people, who were attached to Notre-Dame des Grâces as to a familiar protector. The setting adds to the enchantment. Plusquellec, a small market town in the Guingamp area, offers the silence and light of Central Brittany, far from the hustle and bustle of the coast. When you come here, you choose the diversions that rewards you, the one you can tell about long afterwards.
Architecture
The church of Notre-Dame des Grâces is part of the late Breton Gothic tradition, tinged with the Renaissance influences that characterised 16th-century architecture in the Côtes-d'Armor region. The building is constructed from granite, a material that is ubiquitous in Armor buildings, whose grey hue and rough texture give the volumes an austerity that is tempered only by the meticulous work of the sculptors. The main architectural feature is undoubtedly the porch, a veritable showcase for the art of stone-cutting in Renaissance Brittany. Classically structured for this type of programme, its niches house a series of granite apostles, statues of respectable size whose craftsmanship reveals a knowledge of the iconographic models disseminated through engraving and the circulation of workshops. Each figure is identified by its traditional attribute - keys, sword, set square, book - enabling the faithful, even the illiterate, to identify the patron saints. The overall composition creates a sculpted screen that dramatises the entrance to the sacred place. The interior adopts a simple longitudinal plan, with a single nave or side aisles, a common feature of Breton rural churches from this period. The thick, dimly-lit granite walls create a characteristic atmosphere of contemplation. The interior furnishings, although less spectacular than the porch, probably include some old pieces - polychrome wooden statues, baptismal fonts, stained glass - which complete the ensemble in a spirit of liturgical and artistic continuity.
Related Figures
Artisans tailleurs de pierre bretons anonymes du XVIe siècle, auteurs du porche aux apôtresSeigneurs de Plusquellec, mécènes probables de la construction et du décor sculptéConfrérie Notre-Dame des Grâces, association de fidèles à l'origine du financement de l'édificeInspecteurs des Monuments historiques ayant instruit le dossier de protection de 1926Administrateurs du patrimoine breton ayant obtenu le renouvellement de l'inscription en 2018
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Notre-Dame des Grâces located?
Eglise Notre-Dame des Grâces is located in Plusquellec, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Eglise Notre-Dame des Grâces built?
Eglise Notre-Dame des Grâces dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Eglise Notre-Dame des Grâces open to visitors?
Eglise Notre-Dame des Grâces is currently closed to visitors.
