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Origin and history

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption of Cléden-Poher was first mentioned in 1363, but its definitive construction was spread over two major campaigns in the 16th century. The building, typical of Cornouailla architecture, is distinguished by its balustrade bell tower, its salient porch and its flat bedside, without transept. The nave, interrupted by a walk and a low grid, houses retables added later. The adjacent, rectangular ossuary and the north and south doors of the late 15th or early 16th century bear witness to this pivotal period.

In the 17th century, the church underwent major changes: between 1689 and 1694, the bedside was taken over, the liturgical choir changed, and two sacristies were built, accompanied by a new structure. In 1741 and 1750, the artisan Herbault made the panels of the nave and the sacristy. The bell tower, collapsed in 1907, was rebuilt the same year by reusing the original materials. The west facade, pierced with trilobed-replaced windows adorned with figurative crossettes (a skeleton and an angel bearing phylacteries), illustrates the mixture of religious symbolism and local craftsmanship.

Ranked a Historical Monument in 1983, the church and its parish enclosure (closure wall, calvary and ossuary) reflect the architectural and liturgical evolution of Brittany, from the Middle Ages to modern restorations. Its location in the Church Square, in the heart of Cléden-Poher, makes it a central place in the community and spiritual life of the region, marked by centuries of religious practices and structural adaptations.

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