Eglise abbatiale
The history
It all began around the year 1000, when Simon, Lord of La Roche, on the recommendation of Felix, Abbot of Rhuys, decided to have an abbey built on his land for the repose of the souls of his brother and father Bernard. The village of Lampridic was chosen and eight Benedictine monks from Redon built a monastery there. Simon de la Roche and Abbot Félix went to Rhuys, brought back relics of Saint-Gildas and placed the abbey under his patronage. 200 years later, the church, too small, was replaced by the current abbey church, built in the early 13th century.
Over the centuries, the abbey experienced periods of varying prosperity. At the start of the French Revolution, only 5 monks remained. Hunted down, some went into exile, others were imprisoned and perished in the drownings in Nantes. The abbey was sold as national property and became private property until 1828. It was bought by Abbé Deshayes, who established a congregation of Sisters of Christian Instruction. The church became state property in 1905 and has been listed as a historic monument since 1995.
The monument
The church of Saint-Gildas was built in one go at the end of the 12th century. It is a Romanesque building, built according to the standards of the Order of Saint-Benoit and remarkable for its unity of style and the warmth of the material used, "roussard", a ferruginous sandstone that oxidises in damp conditions.
In 1436, a large skylight was added to the façade, bringing light to the nave. Until the French Revolution, the abbey church was maintained by the monks. It then became the property of the parish, which modified the interior layout (installation of choir stalls and panelling in the choir and relocation of the choir screen at the entrance to the building). The central altarpiece was demolished. At the end of the 19th century, the structural work on the building gave cause for great concern: the pillar of the south transept was sagging and the south wall of the nave was in danger of collapsing onto the cloister. The architects did everything in their power to save the building. A second ordeal awaited the abbey church on 12 August 1944: aerial bombardments destroyed the roofs, vaults, bell tower and stained glass windows.
Restoration work, most of which was carried out between 1950 and 1960, gave the old church a new lease of life.
The stained glass windows
Take a moment to contemplate the stained glass windows created in 2009 as part of a public commission. Where do these faces come from? These children's figures come from Désiré Bourneville's work, which focused on the diagnosis of mental illness in children. Pictures of children taken over a century ago, sick children, children locked up. Once the clinical photos had been scanned, Pascal Convert decided that the eyes would be closed, the faces slightly raised and anything that might refer to the asylum or medicine, such as the height, erased. This initial retouching was followed by sculpture, which restored the volumes, and then moulding and casting of the crystal by the glassmaker, who preserved the volumes by inverting them. It took all these transformations and transmutations to transform the psychiatrist's medical photographs into living apparitions.
Guided tours
Free guided tours only in July and August on Thursdays at 3pm.
Group visits on request.
School visits.
It all began around the year 1000, when Simon, Lord of La Roche, on the recommendation of Felix, Abbot of Rhuys, decided to have an abbey built on his land for the repose of the souls of his brother and father Bernard. The village of Lampridic was chosen and eight Benedictine monks from Redon built a monastery there. Simon de la Roche and Abbot Félix went to Rhuys, brought back relics of Saint-Gildas and placed the abbey under his patronage. 200 years later, the church, too small, was replaced by the current abbey church, built in the early 13th century.
Over the centuries, the abbey experienced periods of varying prosperity. At the start of the French Revolution, only 5 monks remained. Hunted down, some went into exile, others were imprisoned and perished in the drownings in Nantes. The abbey was sold as national property and became private property until 1828. It was bought by Abbé Deshayes, who established a congregation of Sisters of Christian Instruction. The church became state property in 1905 and has been listed as a historic monument since 1995.
The monument
The church of Saint-Gildas was built in one go at the end of the 12th century. It is a Romanesque building, built according to the standards of the Order of Saint-Benoit and remarkable for its unity of style and the warmth of the material used, "roussard", a ferruginous sandstone that oxidises in damp conditions.
In 1436, a large skylight was added to the façade, bringing light to the nave. Until the French Revolution, the abbey church was maintained by the monks. It then became the property of the parish, which modified the interior layout (installation of choir stalls and panelling in the choir and relocation of the choir screen at the entrance to the building). The central altarpiece was demolished. At the end of the 19th century, the structural work on the building gave cause for great concern: the pillar of the south transept was sagging and the south wall of the nave was in danger of collapsing onto the cloister. The architects did everything in their power to save the building. A second ordeal awaited the abbey church on 12 August 1944: aerial bombardments destroyed the roofs, vaults, bell tower and stained glass windows.
Restoration work, most of which was carried out between 1950 and 1960, gave the old church a new lease of life.
The stained glass windows
Take a moment to contemplate the stained glass windows created in 2009 as part of a public commission. Where do these faces come from? These children's figures come from Désiré Bourneville's work, which focused on the diagnosis of mental illness in children. Pictures of children taken over a century ago, sick children, children locked up. Once the clinical photos had been scanned, Pascal Convert decided that the eyes would be closed, the faces slightly raised and anything that might refer to the asylum or medicine, such as the height, erased. This initial retouching was followed by sculpture, which restored the volumes, and then moulding and casting of the crystal by the glassmaker, who preserved the volumes by inverting them. It took all these transformations and transmutations to transform the psychiatrist's medical photographs into living apparitions.
Guided tours
Free guided tours only in July and August on Thursdays at 3pm.
Group visits on request.
School visits.
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