Ruines de l'ancienne chapelle de la Trinité
MonumentHidden Treasure
Ruines de l'ancienne chapelle de la Trinité, located in Canihuel (Département 22), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Canihuel, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.3651, -3.0428
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089049
A poignant 15th-century vestige nestling in the Breton Goëllo, Canihuel's Chapel of the Trinity is a captivating sight with its Gothic lattice windows and granite bell tower, fragile reminders of a medieval abbey foundation.
History
In the heart of inland Brittany, in the commune of Canihuel in Côtes-d'Armor, the ruins of the Chapel of the Trinity are one of those landscapes of stone and silence that the Armorican countryside knows so well how to preserve. Disused for several centuries, the chapel nonetheless retains a striking architectural presence, suspended between obsolescence and grace. This small building with a single nave stands out for the remarkable quality of its flamboyant Gothic lattice windows, which can still be seen on the chevet and the south side. These windows, carved in the local granite, bear witness to an unusual level of architectural care for a rural chapel, revealing the spiritual and aesthetic ambitions of its patrons. The western gable, crowned by a slender bell tower, is typical of Breton chapels from the late Middle Ages. To visit the ruins of the Chapel of the Trinity is to be caught up in the melancholy atmosphere that is typical of endangered monuments. The vegetation has reclaimed some of the masonry, adding an unintentional romantic beauty to the whole. The attentive visitor will be able to read in each layer of stone the history of a village community whose faith has shaped the land for generations. The natural setting reinforces the emotion of the place. Set in unspoilt Breton bocage, the chapel can be discovered along a sunken lane, far from the hustle and bustle of tourism. It is a monument for the curious, lovers of rural heritage and photographers sensitive to the beauty of ruins, who will find here food for thought and composition. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1972, the chapel benefits from protection that has prevented it from being completely demolished. This status testifies to the institutional recognition of its heritage value, even in its ruined state, and the importance of preserving these discreet but precious landmarks of Breton religious architecture.
Architecture
The Chapel of the Trinity belongs to the type of Breton rural building with a single nave, a simple and functional form perfectly suited to the needs of a village community. This longitudinal plan with no transept or side aisles, common in private foundations and devotional chapels in the late Middle Ages, focuses all attention on the east-west axis towards the chevet. The most remarkable architectural feature remains the flamboyant Gothic lattice windows on the chevet and the south gutter wall. The granite mullions of these windows, with their geometric patterns typical of late Breton Gothic, bear witness to a technical mastery and ornamental care that would not necessarily be expected in a chapel of this modest size. Their partial preservation, despite centuries of exposure to the elements, underlines the quality of the Armorican granite used. The western gable, better preserved than the other elevations, is crowned by a bell tower that was both a visual landmark in the landscape and a sound signal for the inhabitants of the surrounding area. This motif of the gabled bell tower, common in the popular religious architecture of Brittany, anchors the chapel in a clearly identified regional building tradition. The use of granite rubble, a material that is omnipresent in the buildings of central Brittany, gives the whole structure the mineral robustness that is characteristic of Armorican architecture.
Related Figures
Guillaume Le Lay — abbé de Daoulas, fondateur présumé de la chapelle, décédé en 1502Chanoines de l'abbaye de Daoulas — communauté augustinienne ayant vraisemblablement supervisé la constructionActeurs des services des Monuments Historiques — responsables de l'inscription protectrice de 1972
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ruines de l'ancienne chapelle de la Trinité located?
Ruines de l'ancienne chapelle de la Trinité is located in Canihuel, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Ruines de l'ancienne chapelle de la Trinité built?
Ruines de l'ancienne chapelle de la Trinité dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Ruines de l'ancienne chapelle de la Trinité open to visitors?
Ruines de l'ancienne chapelle de la Trinité is currently closed to visitors.