Eglise paroissiale Notre-Dame
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise paroissiale Notre-Dame, located in La Ferrière (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
- La Ferrière, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.1424, -2.6054
- Mérimée Reference
- PA22000024
Joyau médiéval des Côtes-d'Armor, l'église Notre-Dame de La Ferrière déploie huit siècles d'architecture en une silhouette en croix couronnée d'une flèche octogonale, entre portail gothique du XIVe et chapelle Renaissance.
History
In the heart of the village of La Ferrière, in Brittany's Côtes-d'Armor region, the parish church of Notre-Dame stands like a stone book opening onto eight centuries of history. Its composite silhouette, the result of successive building campaigns from the 14th to the 19th century, bears witness to the religious and community vitality of a rural Breton parish that never ceased to embellish and extend its house of God. What makes Notre-Dame de La Ferrière truly unique is the legibility of its historical layers: each era has left a distinct and identifiable mark on the building. The 14th-century west portal, with its soberly moulded archivolts typical of Breton Gothic, stands in dialogue a few metres from the more ornate 15th-century south portal, while the 16th-century Renaissance north chapel adds a new lightness to the overall massing. The church is thus a sort of living museum of medieval and post-medieval styles in Brittany. Anyone who takes the time to wander around the building before pushing open the door will have a wonderful experience. The asymmetrical Latin cross shape - the north transept is doubled by a chapel, creating a cleverly conceived imbalance - is intriguing and eye-catching. Inside, the light filtering through the windows casts a soft glow over the vaults of the nave, inviting contemplation. The square bell tower, built in the 18th century in keeping with an architectural tradition that is firmly rooted in Brittany, is distinguished by its octagonal spire, which punctuates the landscape of the village with an elegant verticality. This eight-sided spire motif, inherited from the great medieval cathedrals and adapted to the scale of the parish, gives the building a presence that far exceeds its modest size. The bucolic setting of La Ferrière, in the bocage of the Côtes-d'Armor region, adds to the overall atmosphere. Surrounded by the traditional parish cemetery and granite houses, the church is part of a picture of rare authenticity, away from the mass tourist circuits, giving it a special charm for visitors in search of a preserved and sincere heritage.
Architecture
The church of Notre-Dame de La Ferrière has an asymmetrical Latin cross plan, which is typical of Breton parish churches that have undergone multiple phases of construction. The single nave, classically oriented east-west, is preceded on the west side by the 18th-century square bell tower, whose octagonal spire is the most visible and emblematic feature of the building. The transept, also deliberately asymmetrical, has a 16th-century side chapel added to its north arm, creating an additional volume that enriches the overall composition. The flat chevet, rebuilt in the 19th century, closes off the building to the east in a typically Breton sobriety. The exterior facades offer a veritable catalogue of the styles used in regional religious architecture from the 14th to the 19th centuries. The 14th-century Gothic west portal features moulded voussoirs and a sober tympanum, while the 15th-century south portal is slightly more elaborate, reflecting the flamboyant Gothic style that was beginning to spread in Brittany at the time. The north chapel, added in the Renaissance style in the 16th century, has more horizontal proportions and wider openings. The building was constructed using local granite, an omnipresent material in Breton architecture, renowned for its strength but also for the difficulty of cutting it, which explains the relative restraint of the sculpted decoration compared to the limestone provinces of France. The roofs, probably made of slate from Anjou or Finistère - another traditional Breton material - complete the image of a building rooted in its regional resources and in the beautiful honesty of grey granite.
Related Figures
Évêques de Saint-Brieuc médiévaux ayant exercé leur juridiction sur la paroisse de La FerrièreSeigneurs locaux du pays de Loudéac, commanditaires probables des campagnes de construction des XIVe et XVe sièclesFabriciens et marguilliers de la paroisse ayant supervisé la reconstruction du XVIe siècleArchitecte diocésain du XIXe siècle responsable de la reconstruction du chevet et du bras sud du transeptCurés desservants ayant initié les campagnes d'embellissement aux XVIIIe et XIXe sièclesMaître maçons et tailleurs de pierre locaux, artisans anonymes des portails gothiques
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise paroissiale Notre-Dame located?
Eglise paroissiale Notre-Dame is located in La Ferrière, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Eglise paroissiale Notre-Dame built?
Eglise paroissiale Notre-Dame dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Eglise paroissiale Notre-Dame open to visitors?
Eglise paroissiale Notre-Dame is currently closed to visitors.
