Eglise Saint-Houardon
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Saint-Houardon, located in Landerneau (Département 29), 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
- Landerneau, Département 29, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.4518, -4.2510
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090028
A jewel of the Breton Renaissance transplanted to the heart of Landerneau, Saint-Houardon church combines a sculpted 17th-century porch with a unique odyssey: that of a building moved stone by stone thanks to Napoleon III.
History
In the heart of Landerneau, a lively town in Finistère bathed by the waters of the River Elorn, Saint-Houardon church is one of the most unique examples of Breton religious heritage. Dedicated to Saint Houardon - a local figure of Celtic sanctity venerated since the early Middle Ages in the Léon region - the building is immediately striking for the coherence of its Renaissance architecture and the grace of its southern porch, a veritable lacework of kersanton and granite. What makes Saint-Houardon truly unique is its eventful history. Built in the 16th century on the banks of the Elorn, below the town, the church occupied a picturesque position but was vulnerable to the whims of the river. Three centuries later, an extraordinary decision was to change the church's future: in 1858, Napoleon III himself financed the move of the entire building to the town centre. This exceptional move, a rarity in the history of French heritage, testifies as much to the expertise of the builders of the Second Empire as to the political will to modernise and embellish the cities of Brittany. The visit naturally begins with a contemplation of the south porch, built in 1604, whose statuary and chiselled ornamentation rival the finest parish enclosures in Finistère. Inside, the sober Gothic-Renaissance elegance of the nave gives way to fine antique furnishings: sculpted altars, polychrome statues of Breton saints, and stained-glass windows that radiate a golden light conducive to meditation. The urban setting in which the church now stands adds to its charm. Set in the heart of Landerneau, with its famous inhabited bridge, Saint-Houardon offers visitors a counterpoint of serenity and eternity. For those strolling through the town, stopping at the threshold of this finely worked porch is like stepping into several centuries of Breton history condensed into a few square metres of stone.
Architecture
Saint-Houardon church is part of the Breton Renaissance movement, a style specific to Finistère that combines the robustness of granite with the delicacy of kersanton stone in an ornamental vocabulary of Italian and Flemish inspiration. The plan of the building, with a single nave or with side aisles that are not very pronounced, as was customary in 16th-century parishes in the Léon region, is based on a framework of grey-blue granite, a material that is ubiquitous in the buildings of the Léon region, and whose solidity enabled the monument to be moved in its entirety in 1858. The centrepiece of the exterior decoration remains the south porch, erected in 1604. Typical of parish enclosures in Finistère, it features a semicircular arch framed by pilasters and niches housing statues of saints. The sculpture, some of which is in kersanton - a dark, fine volcanic stone that can be worked like metal - is of a quality comparable to that of the great workshops in the Bay of Douarnenez or La Faou. Apostles in the round, foliage motifs, chiselled entablatures: the whole constitutes a coherent iconographic programme, both doctrinal and aesthetic. Inside, the ecclesiastical space features furnishings that reflect several centuries of Breton devotion: polychrome statues of the Virgin Mary and local saints, carved and gilded wooden altars, and elements of stained glass that diffuse tinted light onto the granite walls. The east-facing choir, in keeping with Christian tradition, probably contains some 17th- or 18th-century woodwork and liturgical silverware, testifying to the continuity of worship in Landerneau.
Related Figures
Saint Houardon — saint celtique du Haut Moyen Âge, patron de l'église, invoqué comme guérisseur dans le pays de LéonNapoléon III — finança le déplacement de l'église vers le centre-ville en 1858, opération emblématique de sa politique de modernisation urbaine en BretagneLes maîtres d'œuvre anonymes de 1604 — sculpteurs et bâtisseurs ayant réalisé le porche sud, issus vraisemblablement des ateliers actifs dans les enclos paroissiaux du FinistèreLes familles marchandes de Landerneau (XVIe-XVIIe s.) — mécènes probables de la reconstruction Renaissance, enrichies par le négoce du lin et des toiles bretonnesLes architectes du Second Empire (1858) — concepteurs de l'opération exceptionnelle de transfert de l'édifice, dont le nom reste à préciser dans les archives municipales
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Saint-Houardon located?
Eglise Saint-Houardon is located in Landerneau, Département 29 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Eglise Saint-Houardon built?
Eglise Saint-Houardon dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Eglise Saint-Houardon open to visitors?
Eglise Saint-Houardon is currently closed to visitors.
