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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame de Croaz Batz, located in Roscoff in Finistère, is an emblematic religious building of Leon, built between 1522 and 1545 in granite. Initiated in 1515 by local shipowners despite the opposition of the bishop of Saint-Pol, its construction was financed by these same shipowners and traders. The building, in Gothic style and reborn, was erected on a land won by the sea, near the cross of the pier of Batz Island. It was not until 1550 that the inhabitants obtained the right to celebrate baptisms and burials there, and its official consecration took place only in 1590 by Bishop de Neufville.

The bell tower, inspired by the chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Berven, was completed in 1585 and combines reborn elements (balustrades, domes) with an anterior Gothic nave. The roof of the nave, paved with granite slabs and slates, evokes a staircase towards the sky. Three ships carved in the walls recall the patronage of the donor shipowners. The interior houses remarkable retables (Rosary, Agonizing) and an alabaster chapel (1634) decorated with 15th century bas-reliefs reported by Nottingham, testimonies of the transmanche exchange.

The parish enclosure, classified as a historic monument between 1886 and 1934, includes two ossuary (Gothic styles and Henry II) and the funeral monument of Dorothy Silburne, linked to the emigrated bishop of Leon. The organs, originally installed in 1606, were replaced in 1650 by a larger instrument, the work of the English factor Thomas Harrison. The present building preserves organs of 1888, electrified in 1926. Major restorations took place in 1777, and the northern chapel was added in 1701.

The baptismal fonts (1690), melted in Landivisiau with Cornouaillais tin, and the panelling of the frame (1610-1611) illustrate local materials and craftsmanship. A painting by Notre-Dame de Guadeloupe, in front of a leather altar of Cordoba, evokes the links with New Spain, reflecting the maritime opening of Roscoff. The church, a communal property, is open to guided tours in summer by the association Protection of Religious Heritage in Life.

Ranked among historical monuments, this church embodies the history of Breton maritime communities, mixing faith, commerce and art. Its enclosure, ossuary and liturgical furniture make it a unique architectural ensemble, marked by Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque influences. There are five bells (including one out of service) and stained glass windows that complement this exceptional religious and cultural heritage.

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