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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Saint-Georges church of Saint-Georges-de-Gréhaigne, located in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany, is a religious building built at the end of the 15th century and at the beginning of the 16th century. It is distinguished by its arched nave in the shape of an overturned carenum, decorated with punches and carved d'entrements with monsters' mouths. The sanctuary, also vaulted in wood but without decoration, seems to have been added later, probably in the sixteenth century, as evidenced by the broken arch separating the two spaces. The latter supports a protruding sprocket housing a wall bell tower for two bells, suggesting that the nave originally constituted the entire building.

The church stained glass windows dating from the 16th century and its hybrid architecture illustrate the stylistic transitions between the flamboyant Gothic and the Renaissance. The building was listed as a historic monument on October 14, 1926, recognizing its heritage value. Historical sources, such as the works of Canon Amédée Guillotin de Corson or Françoise Gadouillat's studies on Breton stained glass windows, underline its importance in the local religious landscape. The church today belongs to the commune and remains a remarkable testimony of sacred art in Brittany at the hinge of the 15th and 16th centuries.

The site is listed in the general inventory of cultural heritage under reference IA00130792, with protected elements including the very structure of the church (cadastre AB 184). Its plan and its architectural peculiarities, such as the carony frame – typical of some Breton churches – or the absence of decoration in the sanctuary, offer avenues to understand the constructive and liturgical practices of the period. Local archives and regional studies, such as those of Paul Banéat on the Ille-et-Vilaine department, complement this knowledge by placing the building in its historical and geographical context.

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