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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Notre Dame de Paradis Basilica of Hennebont, located in Morbihan, is a jewel of the flamboyant Breton Gothic architecture. Initiated in 1514 by François Michart, Marshal-ferrant and fabricator, his first stone was laid that year. The building, still unfinished, was consecrated in 1524 by Bishop Geoffroy Le Borgne, alternate bishop of Vannes. The chapel became parish church in 1590, replacing the former church of Saint-Gilles. Its construction site, marked by interruptions, spreads over several decades, with an arrow completed around 1570.

The church is distinguished by its monumental porch, 65 meters high, and its three-sided bedside, inspired by the architectural innovations of the Notre-Dame de Quelven chapel. Although planned to be vaulted in stone, it finally received a walled frame in 1591-1592, then false plaster vaults in the 19th century. Ranked a Historical Monument in 1862, it was elevated to the rank of minor basilica by Pope Pius X in 1913. Miraculously spared during the 1944 bombings, it retains remarkable furniture, including a 17th century organ.

The furniture includes five melted bells at the end of the 19th century, including the heaviest, Clotilde (1,539 kg), sponsored by the Bishop of Vannes. The organ, built in 1642 by Brother Nicolas de Sainte-Cécile, is one of the oldest in Brittany. His buffet, by Jacques Boyvaux-du-Mesnil, and instrumental part are classified as Historical Monuments in 1980-1981. The glass windows of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as the successive restorations (especially in the 19th century under the direction of the architect Halouis), have changed some original aspects, such as guardrails or bay networks.

The building illustrates the tensions between the community of Hennebont and the Abbey of the Joie-Notre-Dame, on whose territory it is built. Located at the end of the "new city", 500 metres from the ramparts, the basilica also symbolizes the urban and religious dynamism of the region. Its architecture, mixing structural boldness and ornamental richness, makes it a major testimony of Breton Gothic art of the early 16th century.

The external elevations, strictly symmetrical, are rhythmic by foothills surmounted by pinnacles, while the north and south portals follow the elongated tympanum model of the Cathedral of Vannes. The bedside, with its shrinkage and two-level windows, creates an illusionist pyramidal effect. Inside, the "dark" nave, with crushed proportions, contrasts with a slender and luminous choir, highlighting a desire to stage the sanctuary.

Historical sources mention quests to complete the chapel until 1554, and its central role in local religious life after 1590. The restorations of the 19th and 20th centuries, although sometimes critical (like the bodyguards of 1925), allowed its preservation. Today, the basilica remains an active place of worship and a protected heritage, surrounded by a square classified since 1939.

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