Église Notre-Dame du Bon Port de Bourgneuf-en-Retz

With its rich history and architecture, the church of Notre-Dame du Bon Port reveals its past linked to the sea. Built between the 19th and 20th centuries, this neo-Gothic church was one of the main witnesses to local history.

An undoubtedly medieval origin

It is not known exactly when the first Romanesque chapel in Bourgneuf was built.
It was probably built in the 13th century, as a document drawn up in 1256 states: "vicus novus in parochia Sancti Cyrici" (a new village in the parish of Saint-Cyr).

But the attraction of the new village in the parish of Saint-Cyr was such that it became necessary to build a new church on the site of this new port, the "Bourg Neuf", in order to accommodate all the faithful.
Another charter and a bull (letter bearing the pope's seal) of April 1332 state: "In a town called Bourgneuf, Gérard I de Machecoul [(1320-1342)] again builds a church in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary". This content clearly proves the presence of an earlier place of worship, already dedicated to Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Port.

In 1458, another church was built on the same site. Founded by René de Rais, Lord of Bourgneuf and brother of the famous Gilles de Rais, it consisted of a tall monument flanked by a massive bell tower.
It was consecrated on 14 May of the same year, under the name of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Port.
The presence of this cult of the patron saint of sailors is easily explained, as Bourgneuf, which depended on Saint-Cyr-en-Retz throughout the Middle Ages, had become the main salt port in the bay.
From 1672 onwards, the town was to take supremacy over the mother parish of Saint-Cyr.

This massive bell tower was built too hastily. On several occasions, it threatened the entire building.
Nevertheless, the church remained in use for several centuries. But it had to undergo numerous repairs that ruined the factory.

During the revolutionary period, the church was relatively unscathed, as the parish priest, Marchese, had sworn an oath to the civil constitution of the clergy. It was converted into a fodder shop.

In 1800, the need to repair the bell tower was raised, as it served as a landmark for navigation in the Bay.
As the new parish priest, Esseau, noted, the danger was becoming greater: the walls were tilting more and more.
But the years went by, and in 1850 a report made no appeal: the 15th-century church was beyond repair.


A new church

The construction of a new church had to be considered. A committee was set up, made up of town councillors and parish councillors.
Agreement was reached on the location for the new building.
The Nantes architect Henri Gilée (1816-1885) was put in charge of the project.

Work began in 1854 and the church was blessed in July 1863. All that remained was to decorate it with a bell tower!

To prevent the building from collapsing, the bell tower of the previous building was finally demolished in 1878.

Work on the new bell tower did not begin until 1892.
The current bell tower dates from 1893. It is made of Saint Savinien stone and stands 55 metres high. It is decorated with numerous tufa and granite sculptures by the sculptors Potet and Vallet.

The sumptuous stained glass windows are by Antoine Meuret.

It took more than forty years for the church to be completed.
Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Port was consecrated on 29 August 1900.

The current church has been altered several times. Its location, on the foundations of the former parish cemetery, its position in the wind and its type of architecture make it a fragile monument over time.
Following a storm in 1972, the poorly maintained church building was damaged. The roof had to be lowered because stones were falling from the vault. However, the bell tower, which overlooks the entire marshland, was retained.
Because of its age, the church's beautiful stone nave was replaced by a wooden panelled ceiling, lowering the original vault by seven metres.

Built from tufa stone, a fairly fragile material that is sensitive to damp, the church, like Saint-Cyr en Retz, needed to be renovated. This took place in 2013/2014 (masonry, interior vaulting, sacristies, stained glass windows, etc.).


Outstanding features of the church

The interior features

The 12 granite columns with capitals decorated with different types of foliage
The sacristy is decorated with beautiful Louis XV-style wood panelling
Interesting liturgical furnishings: an oak organ (built in 1925, specially designed for the church by two organ builders from Nantes: Georges Gloton (1876-1955), of Burgundian origin, who lived in Nantes, and his partner Charles Le Mintier).



Focus on the ND-du-Bon-Port organ


It has a neo-Gothic oak façade
The visible pipes are fake: they are painted silver on the wood.
The console is located behind the organ.
In 1973, the organ was modernised: the original tubular pneumatic action was removed and the transmissions were electrified. An electric fan was installed in the adjoining sacristy, but the foot pumps and two-ply compensated reservoirs were retained.
The great organ and expressive recital manuals each have 5 stops, and the pedalboard has one stop.

The instrument is mainly used by local organists.



Works of art at ND-du-Bon-Port

Some works of art from the former church can be seen, such as these wooden statues dating from the 15th to 18th centuries:


a magnificent crucifix, originally polychrome, dating from the late 15th century. You can see what makes this crucifix so special by examining it closely: whereas all crucifixes today have nails through the hands, here you can see holes in the wrists, indicating an earlier method of attachment that was more in keeping with the reality of the torture.
An 18th century statuette of the Virgin and Child. It should be noted that the face of the Infant Jesus, as well as the draperies, are rather frustrating for the period. This would certainly indicate that it was produced by a local amateur artist.
A statue of "Saint Paul blessing" dates from the 18th century. This one, with the wide movement of the arms, which leads to a large drapery, does not seem to be by the same artist as the previous one. Less concerned with detail, the sculpture seems to be intentionally showing the size of the wood.
A painting of the Immaculate Assumption. This painting dates from the 19th century and is the property of the State, since the church is only the custodian of it. It was a gift from Napoleon III. The canvas was painted by the copyist Clara Fournier after a work by the Spanish painter Murillo. It was restored in 2017.



🚩A red processional banner from 1791.

In the past, during processions, the various banners that adorned the walls and columns of churches were brought out. The one in Bourgneuf is one of the oldest in the department.
This one has an interesting feature. Made approximately in 1782 or 1784, it was covered by another date, 1791, following a modification to the banner. At the time when the monarchy became constitutional, it was strewn with blue fleurs-de-lis. When the monarchy was overthrown, the fleurs-de-lys were removed during the Revolution. The red canvas, restored in 2018, still bears traces of this.
Originally from the Saint-Vincent chapel in Nantes (which was demolished during the Revolution), this banner was brought back to Bourgneuf in 1804 by a parish priest appointed to the parish. He also rescued some priestly vestments, which are now on display in the Musée du Pays de Retz.



To consult the mass schedule for Sainte-Croix-en-Retz parish, click here.


The little extra :
This site can be discovered by following Bourgneuf-en-Retz's historic urban itinerary.
A guided tour of the church is available during the European Heritage Days in September.

Sources: Emile Boutin (Histoire religieuse du Pays de Retz - abbayes, prieurés, paroisses, published by SILOE in 1999), Le Patrimoine des communes de la Loire Atlantique (published by FLOHIC in 1999).