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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Fiacre church of Guengat, located in the Finistère in Brittany, is a Catholic building dedicated to Saint Fiacre, whose origins date back to the 15th century. It is part of a parish enclosure typical of the region, and its history is marked by major changes in the 18th and 19th centuries. The church is preceded by a 16th century calvary, and its ossuary, dated 1557, bears the inscription Respice finem ("Think Your Death"), recalling the funeral and spiritual dimension of the place.

Ranked a historical monument by decree of 22 July 1914, the church is home to exceptional heritage features: a 1571 window mistress illustrating the Passion, sandstones carved by Ian Hamoun, and ancient statues. Its architecture blends a flamboyant Gothic style porch, gables restored after the fall of the bell tower in 1706, and an apse with striking foothills. The stained glass windows, some dating back to the 16th century, as well as the gissants of Hervé de Saint-Alouarn and his wife Marie de Trégain (1426), bear witness to her rich past.

Jean-Marie Abgrall, local architect, played a key role in the restoration of the monument, notably for the bell tower rebuilt in 1892 and the cemetery calvary, restored in the 19th century. The church, owned by the municipality, embodies both a place of worship and a Breton artistic heritage, where medieval, Baroque and neo-Gothic influences intersect. Its irregular plan and multi-bay windows, such as the bedside, make it a unique example of Finisterian religious architecture.

The engraved inscriptions, such as V AND D MI I L'HOSTIS RECTOR V M QUEMENER C Y MRE JUZEAU P G LIZEN F LAN 1706, evoke the local actors involved in its restoration after the collapse of the arrow. These details, combined with Abgrall's descriptions, highlight the community and historical importance of the building, anchored in the cultural landscape of Guengat and the Quimper region.

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