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Origin and history

The Saint Peter's church of Hanvec, located in Finistère, was built between 1875 and 1877 to replace a demolished parish building, depriving the inhabitants of a place of worship for 18 months. The first stone was blessed on 22 February 1876 by Monsignor Nouvel, bishop of Quimper, in the presence of a large crowd, marking the beginning of a construction site financed by the sacrifices of parishioners. The architect Joseph Bigot designed the plans, and the works, led by the entrepreneur Guyomard de Morlaix, were completed under the administration of the mayors François Saliou and Corentin Le Bras.

The church was consecrated on 31 May 1877 by Monsignor Nouvel, assisted by Canon Le Guen of Kerneizon, in the presence of 80 clergymen and members of the parish factory. The bell tower, completed in 1879, peaks at 42 meters and houses historical bells, including one of 1758 (1,300 kg) decorated with a Saint Madeleine, re-employed from the old church. The south porch, dating back to 1625, was preserved for its architectural excellence, while the five-span nave and the blue-painted panelling reflect a neat neo-Gothic style.

Between 2001 and 2009, a major restoration (€709,000, subsidized at €308,000) concerned the bell tower, stained glass windows, and interior paintings. In 2013, the bell Thérèse Marguerite Marie (1964), cracked, was descended for expertise, also revealing the deterioration of the bell Yvonne Jeanne Angèle (1914), witness of the two world wars. Through a donation campaign led by the association The Peace Bell and the Heritage Foundation, two new bells (Jeanne Yvonne and Marie Josephine Claude) were blessed in 2017 and installed before Easter.

The church houses remarkable heritage elements: a table of the Rose in polychrome wood (late 17th century), attributed to Guillaume Lerrel, and statues from the chapel Saint-Conval. The stained glass windows, the path of the cross, and the granite slabs of the ground complete this set, classified in good condition of conservation. The project to restore the bells, entrusted to the foundry Paccard (Haute-Savoie), illustrates the local attachment to this religious and historical heritage.

The parish registers evoke collective emotion during the ceremonies of 1876-1877, when the inhabitants, after months of open-air Masses, celebrated the rebirth of their place of worship. The relics of Sanctus Drobus, Sanctus Vigilans, and Santa Ymocantia, sealed in the altar, recall the spiritual continuity between the old and the new church, both placed under the patronage of St Peter.

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