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Origin and history

The Saint-Sauveur Abbey of Redon, founded in the 9th century by the monk Conwoïon under the protection of King Nominoé, is a landmark building in Breton history. The early church, destroyed by Norman raids, was rebuilt in the 11th century in a Romanesque style, with an imposing nave and a choir to walk. In the 12th century, the cross tower, inspired by the Aquitaine models, was erected under the impulse of Duke Alain IV Fergent, symbolizing the affirmation of Breton power.

A fire in 1230 ravaged the building, leading to a major reconstruction of the choir between 1260 and 1300 in a radiant Gothic style, inspired by the Basilica of Saint-Denis. The high windows, decorated with portraits of the Dukes John I and John II, attest to the completion of the project around 1300. The War of the Succession of Brittany (1341) interrupted the monumental facade project, leaving only a remote north bell tower, completed in the early 14th century.

In the 15th century, the Duke François I of Brittany, protector of the abbey, built the "chapel au duc" (1440), integrated into the urban enclosure. The Maurists, in the 17th century, transformed the convent buildings and added a baroque altarpiece to the choir. A fire in 1780 destroyed five spans of the nave, permanently insulating the bell tower and darkening the interior by removing the high windows. The Abbatial, classified as a Historic Monument in 1862, became a parish after the Revolution.

The architecture of the abbey combines Romanesque, Gothic and English influences. The bedside, in harmonious pyramid, recalls Saint-Denis, while the transept preserves Romanesque capitals and a dome on trunks. The nave, initially twelve spans, was reduced to six after 1780. The furniture includes the tomb of the Duke François I (15th century), a monumental altarpiece offered by Richelieu (1634), and two organs of the 19th to 20th centuries.

Ranked among the first Historical Monuments of France (1862 for the church, 1875 for the bell tower), the Abbey also houses statues, seventeenth century paintings, and 19th century baptismal fonts. Its history reflects the close links between the Church, the Breton nobility and regional conflicts, from Viking raids to Chouannery. Today, it remains an active place of worship and a major witness to the religious heritage of Breton.

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