Heritage classified

Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame-de-Pitié de Tréguennec, located in the Bay of Audierne (Finistery), originated in the 16th century as a castral chapel of the lords of Kerguiffinec. Founded in 1537 at the site of an older chapel, it became a parish church in the early 19th century, replacing the old ruined church located near the chapel Saint-Alour. Its architecture blends flamboyant Gothic elements (southward facade of 1537) with classical or neo-Gothic additions, such as the bell tower rebuilt in 1864 by Joseph Bigot after its destruction during the Révolte des Bonnets Rouges in 1675.

The western façade, which was rebuilt in the 17th century, features a porch in the middle of a hanger surmounted by a niche housing a Virgin with the Child, while the bell tower, 24 meters high, combines a massive neo-Gothic base with an octagonal arrow decorated with hooks. Inside, the church, with a rectangular plan to a single side, preserves a 16th century carved panel, sandstones decorated with marine motifs, and remains of murals. The flat bedside houses a remarkable window of the second half of the sixteenth century, representing the Passion of Christ, attributed to the studio The Sodec of Quimper and partially restored in 1964.

The furniture, partly from the old parish church, includes notable sculptures such as a 17th century San Sebastian, symbol of protection against the plague, or a Virgin of Mercy from the late 16th century, where Christ, almost vertical, rests on Mary's knees. Other elements, such as the 15th century baptismal fonts or the 18th century grand altar, testify to the artistic and religious evolution of the site. The successive restorations (1863, 1964, 2008) preserved this heritage, including the reopening of the northern bays and the restoration of the painted frame in star blue.

The history of the church is inseparable from the family of Kerguiffinec, whose weapons appear on the window alongside those of the Bastard family. The Revolt of the Red Bonnets (1675), a Breton anti-fiscal movement, marked a turning point with the destruction of the bell tower, symbol of seigneurial and religious authority. In the 19th century, the movement of worship from the old ruined church to this seigneurial chapel illustrates the social and religious transformations of the region, where private chapels became places of community gathering.

The stained glass windows, among the best preserved of the Finistère for this period, offer a rich iconography of the Passion, with scenes such as the Arrestation of Christ or the Descent of the Cross, surrounded by Arma Christi held by angels. Their style is similar to other achievements of the Sodec workshop, which was active in the region around 1550. The blazons integrated into the tympanum (18th century) recall the noble anchoring of the monument, while modern restorations have completed the gaps while respecting the original breakers.

Classified as a Historical Monument in 1927, the Church of Notre-Dame-de-Pitié today embodies a religious, seigneurial and artistic heritage. Its architectural peculiarities — such as the engulfings of the frame or the lions keeping the nobiliary door — and its carved furniture make it an exceptional testimony of Breton art from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, while reflecting the historical upheavals of Brittany.

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