Eglise Saint-Hubert
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Saint-Hubert, located in La Nouaye (Département 35), 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 Nouaye, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.1619, -1.9797
- Mérimée Reference
- PA35000059
Au cœur de la Bretagne intérieure, l'église Saint-Hubert de La Nouaye séduit par son remarquable porche monumental ouvert sur trois côtés, chef-d'œuvre de sculpture bretonne des XVe-XVIe siècles.
History
Nestling in the village of La Nouaye, in Ille-et-Vilaine, Saint-Hubert church is one of those discreet buildings that offer visitors a major surprise: a monumental porch of a scale and originality that are rare in the Breton parish landscape. Far from the great cathedrals that attract so much attention, this modest monument embodies an architectural and decorative ambition that bears witness to the artistic vitality of Breton rural communities at the end of the Middle Ages. What really sets Saint-Hubert de La Nouaye apart is the unusual configuration of its porch, which is open on three sides. This layout, inherited from the tradition of closed Breton porches but brought to an unusual scale here, creates an intermediary space between the secular world and the sacred space, a sort of liturgical airlock reminiscent of the great works of Finistère. The quality of the sculpted decoration - interlacing, plant motifs, finely chiselled figures - reveals the hand of craftsmen with a perfect command of the ornamental repertoire of the Renaissance, which was penetrating Brittany at the time. The visit offers a superimposed reading of the ages: the medieval stones of the 15th and 16th centuries interact with the more sober transformations of the 19th century, which reconfigured part of the volume without obliterating the essentials. The attentive visitor will be able to decipher these layers, recognising the curve of an ancient vault beneath a late rendering, or guessing in the silhouette of the bell tower the ambitions of a post-medieval restoration. The setting itself adds to the experience: the village of La Nouaye, in the sparsely populated, hedged farmland of Brittany's Montfort region, offers a tranquillity conducive to contemplation. There are no tourist coaches or souvenir shops here - just stone and silence, the low evening light bringing out the relief of the porch with almost dramatic clarity. Saint-Hubert is a monument for insiders, for those who know that the best discoveries are made far from the beaten track.
Architecture
Saint-Hubert church has the classic elongated plan of Breton parish churches, with a single nave or aisles and an east-facing apse, which was extensively altered in the 19th century. The elevations bear witness to the superimposition of building campaigns: the local granite bonding, characteristic of the Armorican Massif, varies from period to period, allowing the trained eye to distinguish the medieval foundations from the Victorian reconstructions. The monumental porch is the main architectural feature of the complex. Its originality lies in the fact that it is open on three sides, creating a generously sized covered space that precedes the main entrance to the church. This layout, which is more ambitious than the simple canopies but less enclosed than the great hall porches of Finistère, cleverly combines shelter and openness. The structure rests on pillars or columns whose capitals and arches are carefully sculpted, combining stylised plant motifs, foliage and possibly anthropomorphic or animal figures typical of the Breton Renaissance repertoire. The vaulting of the porch, either ribbed or lierne, depending on the solutions chosen by the builders, gives this transitional space a remarkable architectural dignity. The interior of the building, as it stands today, reflects the reconstruction campaign of the 19th century: windows with neo-Gothic infills, partly new liturgical furnishings, new plasterwork. However, some old features have been preserved - the baptismal font, devotional statues, fragments of painted decoration - which maintain the link with the parish's founding centuries.
Related Figures
Saint Hubert de Liège (656-727) — évêque et patron des chasseurs, dont l'invocation comme titulaire de l'église reflète le monde rural et cynégétique de la paroisseSeigneurs de La Nouaye (XVe-XVIe siècles) — familles nobles locales qui financèrent vraisemblablement la construction du porche monumentalMaîtres d'œuvre bretons anonymes (XVIe siècle) — sculpteurs et architectes qui réalisèrent le décor du porche dans la tradition des ateliers armoricains de la RenaissanceFabrique paroissiale de La Nouaye (XIXe siècle) — conseil laïc qui initia et supervisa les importants travaux de remaniement de la seconde moitié du XIXe siècleArchitecte diocésain d'Ille-et-Vilaine (2e moitié XIXe siècle) — concepteur anonyme des transformations néo-gothiques de l'édifice
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Saint-Hubert located?
Eglise Saint-Hubert is located in La Nouaye, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Eglise Saint-Hubert built?
Eglise Saint-Hubert dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Eglise Saint-Hubert open to visitors?
Eglise Saint-Hubert is currently closed to visitors.
