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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church Saint-Michel (originally dedicated to Saint-Étienne) of La Nouaye, located in Ille-et-Vilaine, dates mainly from the 15th and 16th centuries, with major changes in the 19th century. It originally belonged to a priory founded by the abbey of Saint-Jacques de Montfort, after its donation by the archbishop of Dol at the end of the 12th century. The northern chapel, dedicated to Saint-Hubert, bears the arms of the family of the Boitravers, local lords. Its west porch, exceptional in its three-sided opening, dates from the beginning of the 16th century and would have been modified later, with lateral arcades added to the work.

The porch, often mistakenly associated with lepers, has polygonal foothills similar to those of Broualan Castle, linked to the Rohan family. Inside, the unique nave, completed by a straight bedside, preserves a wooden dogive vault on the north transept. In the 19th century, major changes included the shift of the bedside window, the resumption of the southern wall of the nave, and the reconstruction of the bell tower's arrow. The adjoining cemetery houses the remains of a calvary classified since 1913, while the church itself has been listed in the Historical Monuments since 2014.

The building illustrates Breton ogival architecture, marked by seigneurial influences (family Rohan) and religious (prieuré de Montfort). Its heritage interest lies in the rarity of its threefold open porch, carefully decorated, and in its history linked to liturgical and social transformations, from the wars of Religion to the restorations of the 19th century. The presence of medieval elements (wood arches, capitals) coincides with more recent additions, reflecting a continuous evolution.

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