Temple de la Coëfferie
MonumentHidden Treasure
Temple de la Coëfferie, located in Messac (Département 35), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Messac, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.7903, -1.8243
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00090629
Vestige émouvant de la présence templière en Ille-et-Vilaine, cette chapelle du XIIIe siècle recèle des peintures murales médiévales et une histoire mouvementée entre Templiers, Hospitaliers et guerres de Religion.
History
In the heart of the Breton countryside, in Messac, the Temple de la Coëfferie stands as a silent testimony to seven centuries of history. This medieval chapel, modest in size but rich in symbolism, is the very embodiment of the military-religious orders that shaped France in the Middle Ages. Far from the famous commanderies, it offers an intimate and authentic encounter with Breton rural heritage. What sets this monument apart is the superimposition of two major periods in the history of religious orders: the Templars, who founded the site in the early 13th century, and then the Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem, who inherited it when the Order of the Temple was dissolved in 1312. This transition, engraved in the very stone of the building, makes it a unique architectural landmark in the region. The interior conceals a discreet but shocking treasure: fragments of medieval wall paintings still adorn the chevet wall, above and in the window splayings. These polychrome remains, which have survived the ravages of time, wars and the Revolution, invite visitors to take part in an almost archaeological contemplation, where the imagination fills in what the centuries have erased. The visitor experience is marked by an atmosphere of contemplation and discovery. The building, long converted into a farm shed after the Revolution, bears the scars of a chaotic destiny that has only added to its patina. All around, the landscape of Ille-et-Vilaine - hedged farmland, meadows and the nearby river Vilaine - envelops this place in a typically Breton gentleness, ideal for strolling and historical meditation.
Architecture
The Temple de la Coëfferie is an elongated chapel typical of the religious architecture of 13th-century military orders. The main body, which can be attributed to Templar construction in the first half of the 13th century, adopts the sober, functional forms that define the Cistercian and military architecture of this period: masonry of Breton schist and granite rubble, discreet openings, refined volumes devoid of all superfluous ornamentation. The flat chevet, common in Templar chapels throughout Europe, is pierced by a window whose splaying preserves precious traces of medieval polychromy. The addition of the south arm, probably built by the Hospitallers in the 14th century, gives the building a slightly asymmetrical silhouette that bears witness to the palimpsest history of the monument. This extension, which was probably intended to house a side chapel or sacristy, is in keeping with the stylistic continuity of the building as a whole, while at the same time revealing an evolution in construction techniques. The transition between the two phases of construction can still be seen in the treatment of the joints and the matching of the stones. The mural paintings preserved on the chevet wall are the jewel inside the building. Although only partial, these remains reveal the meticulous craftsmanship typical of the itinerant workshops that worked in the Breton commanderies in the 13th and 14th centuries. The surviving ochre, red and black hues reveal hieratic figures and geometric motifs, providing invaluable insight into the liturgical and artistic life of these religious communities.
Related Figures
Philippe IV le Bel — roi de France qui ordonna l'arrestation des Templiers en 1307 et précipita la dissolution de l'ordre en 1312Jacques de Molay — dernier Grand Maître de l'ordre du Temple, dont la chute entraîna le transfert des biens templiers, dont la Coëfferie, aux HospitaliersClément V — pape qui prononça officiellement la dissolution de l'ordre du Temple au concile de Vienne (1312), scellant le destin de la commanderieFoulques de Villaret — Grand Maître des Hospitaliers qui reçut les biens templiers en 1312 et organisa leur intégration dans les commanderies de l'ordreLes commandeurs templiers de Messac — figures locales anonymes qui fondèrent et administrèrent la commanderie au XIIIe siècle
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Temple de la Coëfferie located?
Temple de la Coëfferie is located in Messac, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Temple de la Coëfferie built?
Temple de la Coëfferie dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Temple de la Coëfferie open to visitors?
Temple de la Coëfferie is currently closed to visitors.
