Eglise Saint-Patern
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Saint-Patern, located in Louvigné-de-Bais (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
- Louvigné-de-Bais, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.0481, -1.3313
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090620
Joyau flamboyant du pays de Rennes, l'église Saint-Patern de Louvigné-de-Bais fascine par ses pignons à crochets sculptés, sa crypte seigneuriale et ses vitraux rennais du XIXe siècle, témoins d'un art breton singulier.
History
Nestling in the heart of the village of Louvigné-de-Bais, in Ille-et-Vilaine, Saint-Patern church is one of those rural Breton buildings that offer the attentive visitor a succession of architectural surprises. Dedicated to Saint Patern, the legendary bishop of Vannes and a venerated figure in Armorican Brittany, it combines several centuries of piety, constructive ambition and craftsmanship in a single volume. What immediately sets Saint-Patern apart is the richness of its facades. The north façade, completed in 1563, features four gables separated by buttresses and decorated with hooks sculpted with remarkable precision - a rare flamboyant ornamental vocabulary for a village church. In contrast, the south façade features a side aisle with four gables built between 1758 and 1761, demonstrating an astonishing continuity of construction that spans two centuries without any break in style. The interior is captivating for the quality of its space: the nave with its flat apse, flanked by two side aisles, creates a visual progression towards the sanctuary, punctuated by pointed arches resting on alternating cylindrical and octagonal piers. This refined and unusual alternation gives the nave an almost musical character. The seigniorial chapel adjoining the choir, with its barrel vault and sculpted transoms, adds an aristocratic and intimate dimension to the whole. The three stained glass windows, created at the end of the 19th century by the Rennes workshops Leconte and Colin, bathe the building in coloured light that contrasts with the grey stone of the bocage. Beneath the choir, the sepulchral crypt, accessible from the seigneurial chapel, is a reminder that the church was also a dynastic space, a place of rest for the great local families. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1984 - after first being listed in 1926 - Saint-Patern is well worth a visit.
Architecture
Saint-Patern church is in the late flamboyant Gothic style, with inflections typical of 16th-century Breton religious architecture. It has a nave with a flat chevet flanked by two side aisles, a common feature of wealthy parishes in Upper Brittany. The chevet, which protrudes slightly over the side aisles, has a flamboyant window with two mullions, closed to the west, a highly elegant decorative element that focuses the light towards the sanctuary. The most original features of the building are the side façades. The north facade, completed in 1563, has four gables separated by buttresses and decorated with carved granite hooks, a stylised plant motif typical of the Breton flamboyant style. The southern facade, built later (1758-1761), uses the same gabled rhythm in a slightly more restrained version. The bell tower, built in 1760 by Le Forestier, ensures the verticality of the composition. Inside, the tiers-point arches supported by alternating cylindrical and octagonal piers create an elaborate structural rhythm that is rare in a rural parish church. The north seigneurial chapel, barrel-vaulted with sculpted double lancets and lit by a trefoil window, forms a space in its own right of great spatial quality, extended in depth by the sepulchral crypt that runs beneath the choir.
Related Figures
Babin — architecte, co-constructeur de l'église au XVIe siècleArthur — architecte, co-constructeur de l'église au XVIe siècleLe Forestier — architecte, auteur du clocher en 1760Leconte — maître verrier rennais, auteur des vitraux de la fin du XIXe siècleColin — maître verrier rennais, associé de Leconte pour les vitrauxSaint Patern — évêque légendaire de Vannes (Ve-VIe siècle), patron de l'église
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Saint-Patern located?
Eglise Saint-Patern is located in Louvigné-de-Bais, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Eglise Saint-Patern built?
Eglise Saint-Patern dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Eglise Saint-Patern open to visitors?
Eglise Saint-Patern is currently closed to visitors.
