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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Tronchaye, located in Rochefort-en-Terre (Morbihan), is an ancient collegiate church dating back to the 12th century with its fortified Romanesque tower (1125). The present building, mainly built between the 15th and 17th centuries, blends flamboyant Gothic elements (North facade rebuilt in 1533) with Renaissance additions, such as the polychrome stone altar erected in 1610 by Exupère de Larlan. Classified as a Historic Monument in 1931, it preserves traces of restoration campaigns in the 19th and 20th centuries, including the repair of the West Gable in 1898 and the replacement of the stained glass windows in 1922 and 1927.

According to local legend, the church was built on the site of the discovery of a statue of the Madonna nursing the Child Jesus, hidden two centuries earlier in a tree trunk to escape Viking raids. A 1927 stained glass window illustrates this tradition, reinforcing the Marian character of the sanctuary. Romanesque remains (crossing the transept, east walls) coexist with major changes from the 16th century, such as the addition of a second south side, and subsequent changes, including the enlargement of the nave to the west in the 19th century.

The church, owned by the commune, bears witness to the religious and architectural history of Brittany. Its acoustic vases, seigneurial weapons (family of Rieux and Rochefort), and its retable moved in 1922 reflect its evolution over the centuries. The successive restorations (1865, 1887, 1922) preserved its integrity, while adapting the building to liturgical needs and heritage standards. Today, it remains a place of worship and a symbol of the Morbihan heritage.

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