Eglise Saint-Hernin et cimetière
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Saint-Hernin et cimetière, located in Locarn (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
- Locarn, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.3190, -3.4228
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089306
In the heart of Kreiz-Breizh, the church of Saint-Hernin in Locarn displays its flamboyant and Renaissance elegance in a setting of Breton granite, guarded by a 17th-century cemetery cross of rare expressiveness.
History
Nestling in the unassuming market town of Locarn, in the centre of deepest Brittany, the church of Saint Hernin is one of those nuggets of Breton heritage that the curious traveller discovers with a mixture of surprise and emotion. Dedicated to a local saint whose cult testifies to the richness of Celtic Christianity, it stands in its cemetery paved with history as a manifesto of Breton rural piety at its height, between the late Gothic and early Renaissance periods. What immediately sets Saint-Hernin apart is the superimposition of two apparently antagonistic artistic sensibilities. The choir and its flamboyant mullioned windows, with their finely-cut stonework, stand side by side inside with niches framed by pilasters and small pediments that bear witness to an early familiarity with Renaissance vocabulary - a rare luxury for a Breton country church. The stained glass window, dated 1572, is in itself an exceptional document of regional glass production at the turn of the Wars of Religion. A unique architectural surprise awaits visitors to the church: the pulpit is supported by a sculpted figure that seems to carry the weight of the divine word on its shoulders, and the hollow pillar of the nave conceals a hidden staircase at its heart, giving access to the pulpit. This detail - ingenious to say the least - is a reminder that Breton builders mastered liturgical staging as well as construction techniques. The cemetery surrounding the church, typical of parish enclosures in the Carhaix region, retains its intimate medieval atmosphere. The monumental 17th-century cross facing the gateway imposes its austere, sculpted presence. The village of Locarn, perched in the mountains of Central Brittany, also offers an unspoilt natural setting, away from the mass tourist circuits, which lovers of authentic heritage and inland Brittany will appreciate to the full.
Architecture
The church of Saint-Hernin has a Latin cross floor plan, a classic example of Breton religious architecture in the 16th century, and a clear sign of the parish's ambition. It comprises a nave flanked by three side aisles divided into three bays, a well-developed transept and a rectangular choir adjoined by a secondary chapel to the north and the sacristy to the south. A free-standing bell tower - typical of Lower Brittany - completes the exterior silhouette, standing independently of the main building, as was common practice in the parishes of Central Brittany. The east gable of the choir is pierced by a three-mullioned window in the flamboyant Gothic style, whose delicate stone latticework is one of the most elaborate exterior motifs in the building. Inside, the space is divided by pillars, one of which, the pillar in the nave housing the pulpit, is hollow and contains a spiral staircase allowing the preacher to reach his pulpit: an ingenious and extremely rare technical solution. The pulpit itself is supported by a mid-body or full-length figure in the expressive tradition of Breton Renaissance sculpture. Two niches framed by Renaissance-style pilasters and pediments enliven the walls of the nave and transept, adding a touch of antique refinement to the surrounding Gothic vocabulary. The 1572 stained glass window, with its colours undoubtedly divided into hagiographic registers, is the centrepiece of the glass furnishings. The dominant materials are local granite, which is ubiquitous in central Brittany, carefully cut for the decorative elements, and slate, which probably covers the roof in accordance with universal regional custom.
Related Figures
Saint Hernin – ermite celtique légendaire, patron de la paroisse, dont le culte fonde l'existence même du sanctuaireLe Guerrannic – architecte breton auteur des plans de reconstruction de la nef et du chœur à partir de 1894Artisan verrier anonyme de 1572 – auteur de la verrière datée, témoin exceptionnel de l'art du vitrail en Bretagne centrale sous la RenaissanceSculpteur anonyme du XVIIe siècle – auteur de la croix de cimetière et probablement de la chaire à prêcherFabriciens et notables locaux du XVIe siècle – commanditaires collectifs de la construction du chœur et du transept flamboyants
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Saint-Hernin et cimetière located?
Eglise Saint-Hernin et cimetière is located in Locarn, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Eglise Saint-Hernin et cimetière built?
Eglise Saint-Hernin et cimetière dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Eglise Saint-Hernin et cimetière open to visitors?
Eglise Saint-Hernin et cimetière is currently closed to visitors.
