Eglise Saint-Pierre
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Saint-Pierre, located in Plounévez-Quintin (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
- Plounévez-Quintin, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.2908, -3.2314
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089514
Joyau gothique breton du XVIe siècle, l'église Saint-Pierre de Plounévez-Quintin séduit par son double transept ajouré de fenêtres à meneaux et ses soufflets en feuille d'une délicatesse remarquable.
History
Nestling in the heart of the Kreiz-Breizh region, in the Côtes-d'Armor, the church of Saint-Pierre in Plounévez-Quintin is one of those sleeping beauties of Breton heritage that the main tourist routes have left behind - and that's precisely what makes it so precious. Built of local granite in the first half of the 16th century, it offers the attentive visitor a compendium of late flamboyant Gothic art as it flourished in inland Brittany, far from the splendour of the parish enclosures of Léon but not without its own elegance. What immediately sets Saint-Pierre apart is the sophistication of its fenestration. The two gables of the transept are pierced with mullioned windows whose infill combines "mouchettes" and "soufflets", the blown geometric shapes characteristic of the flamboyant Gothic style, creating a play of light that changes according to the time of day. The choir, for its part, is illuminated by a wide double-mullioned window crowned by a fenestration in which the bellows take the elaborate shape of a leaf - a rare motif that gives the apse an almost unexpected lightness for such a robust granite building. A tour of the interior reveals a beautifully legible Latin cross plan, where the different building campaigns can be read like the layers of a stone book. The choir and transept crossing, the oldest parts, exude a seigniorial austerity tempered by the grace of the openings. The chapel of Sainte-Anne, built at the end of the 18th century, provides a subtle stylistic contrast, while its sober, squat bell tower anchors the whole in the tradition of Breton bell towers. For the photographer, the church is particularly generous at the end of the day, when the low-angled light enhances the texture of the grey-blue granite and brings out the sculpted relief of the buttresses crowned with small pinnacles. For lovers of medieval architecture, it's a living lesson in how the Gothic style persisted in Brittany long after the Renaissance had conquered the rest of the kingdom. A must for anyone exploring the inland routes of the Côtes-d'Armor.
Architecture
Saint-Pierre church has a classical Latin cross plan, with a main nave flanked by a north aisle, a double transept with projecting arms and a choir with a flat chevet - a typical layout for medium-sized Breton Gothic buildings. The whole structure is built of granite, the emblematic stone of Armorique, whose grey-blue colour, slightly pinkish depending on exposure, gives the building a serious and lasting presence. The buttresses, essential structural elements of Gothic architecture, are topped here by small pinnacles that lighten the silhouette while draining away rainwater. The fenestration is undeniably Saint-Pierre's architectural highlight. The two gables of the transept are pierced with mullioned windows whose typically flamboyant infill combines "mouchettes" - inverted crescent moon shapes - and bellows, creating highly sophisticated geometric compositions. The chancel is lit by a wide bay with two vertical mullions, topped by a window where the bellows take the rare form of a stylised leaf, a motif that sets this building apart from other contemporary churches in the region. The steeple is outside the main nave, as is common in inland Brittany, and rises soberly vertically, marking the landscape from the access roads to the village.
Related Figures
Saints Pierre et Anne — patrons tutélaires de l'église et de sa chapelle annexe, dont le culte structure la vie paroissiale depuis le Moyen ÂgeArtisans tailleurs de pierre bretons du XVIe siècle — maîtres anonymes à qui l'on doit les remplages flamboyants des fenêtres du transeptFabrique paroissiale de Plounévez-Quintin — commanditaires des travaux de la fin du XVIIIe siècle incluant la chapelle Sainte-Anne et le clocherArchitecte voyer du département des Côtes-du-Nord — responsable présumé de la reconstruction du bas-côté nord en 1861Inspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (1964) — auteurs de l'arrêté d'inscription qui assura la protection officielle de l'édifice
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Saint-Pierre located?
Eglise Saint-Pierre is located in Plounévez-Quintin, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Eglise Saint-Pierre built?
Eglise Saint-Pierre dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Eglise Saint-Pierre open to visitors?
Eglise Saint-Pierre is currently closed to visitors.
