Eglise Saint-Thuriau
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Saint-Thuriau, located in Saint-Thuriau (Département 56), 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
- Saint-Thuriau, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.0165, -2.9498
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091722
Au cœur du Morbihan, l'église Saint-Thuriau dévoile des lambris peints du XVIIIe siècle contant la vie de son saint patron, des sablières sculptées du XVIe siècle et un sobre porche gothique d'une élégance rare.
History
Nestling in the quiet market town of Saint-Thuriau, a few leagues from Pontivy, this Morbihan parish church is much more than a Breton granite edifice: it's a jewel box of living memory where several centuries of faith, popular art and craftsmanship are harmoniously superimposed. Its Latin cross plan, characteristic of the great ambitions of the medieval Breton parish, gives it a sober dignity that is tempered by the warmth of the painted wood and the fantasy of the sculptures. What sets Saint-Thuriau apart from the multitude of flamboyant Gothic churches in Morbihan is above all the exceptional survival of its painted panelling. Dating from 1779, these paintings cover the entire wooden vault of the nave, recounting the life of Saint Thuriau - a 6th-century Breton bishop - through animated scenes in which the characters wear the costumes of the period in which they were executed. This anachronistic approach, far from being clumsy, provides irreplaceable evidence of the fashions and customs of pre-revolutionary Brittany. The visit begins at the porch, a true 15th-century Gothic jewel, whose moulded door rests on fine columns with capitals. Inside, the eye naturally wanders to the transept's sablières, richly sculpted in the 16th century with a typically Breton decorative inventiveness. The south transept holds a further surprise: a door surmounted by a finial brace, flanked by pilasters and sculpted animals carved into the stone with an almost mischievous verve. Leaning against the church, a monumental 18th-century wooden Calvary completes the ensemble, reminding us that Breton devotion has always combined the interior and exterior in a spiritually and aesthetically coherent way. Lovers of popular religious art, enthusiasts of hagiographic iconography and photographers in search of subdued light on ancient wood will find here a place of uncommon emotional density.
Architecture
Saint-Thuriau church has a classical Latin cross plan, with a single nave accessed via a western porch, a projecting transept and a choir with a flat chevet, a common feature of 15th and 16th century Breton parish architecture. Built from local granite in the Morbihan building tradition, the exterior of the building is sober, with flamboyant mullioned windows providing soft, filtered light inside. The western porch, the oldest part of the building, houses a 15th-century doorway of great elegance: the recessed mouldings, characteristic of Breton Gothic, rest on fine columns with capitals, a true demonstration of the refined craftsmanship of the period. The south transept features one of the most remarkable exterior details of the building, with its door surmounted by a finial accolade, framed by pilasters and decorated with sculpted animals, a delightful blend of Gothic vocabulary and decorative motifs heralding the Renaissance. Inside, the sablières in the transept, dating from the 16th century, are unusually rich in sculpture for a rural church: foliage, animal and human figures and plant motifs follow one another with typically Breton expressive vigour. The rarest feature is the painted panelling that covers the entire wooden vault of the nave. Executed in 1779, this wood-painted decoration depicts scenes from the life of Saint Thuriau, with the characters dressed in 18th-century costumes, creating an ethnographic document as much as a work of religious art. The monumental 18th-century wooden Calvary, set against the interior of the church, completes the exceptional furnishings, making Saint-Thuriau one of the best-preserved church interiors in rural Morbihan.
Related Figures
Saint Thuriau (VIe siècle) — évêque breton de Dol-de-Bretagne, saint patron du bourg et de l'église, dont la vie est illustrée dans les lambris peintsArtisan peintre anonyme (1779) — auteur des peintures sur lambris représentant la vie de saint Thuriau, témoignage rare de l'art populaire breton du XVIIIe siècleMaîtres d'œuvre anonymes du XVe siècle — bâtisseurs du porche et de la nef primitive, maîtrisant le vocabulaire gothique flamboyant bretonSculpteurs anonymes du XVIe siècle — auteurs des sablières du transept et des sculptures de la porte du croisillon sud, parmi les plus inventifs de leur génération en MorbihanCharpentiers et menuisiers du XVIIIe siècle — artisans locaux ayant réalisé le calvaire monumental de bois et contribué à l'aménagement intérieur de l'église
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Saint-Thuriau located?
Eglise Saint-Thuriau is located in Saint-Thuriau, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Eglise Saint-Thuriau built?
Eglise Saint-Thuriau dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Eglise Saint-Thuriau open to visitors?
Eglise Saint-Thuriau is currently closed to visitors.
