Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Mathieu de Morlaix, located in the Finistère, is a religious building whose tower-clocher, built between 1548 and 1593 by architect Yves Croazec, has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1914. This bell tower, the only vestige of the 16th century, dominates a reconstructed building between 1822 and 1827 on the site of a priory founded before 1110 by Saint-Mathieu Abbey of Fine-Terre.

The Renaissance-style tower houses a bell room with no arrows, while the current church features a rectangular three-vessel plan, with a flat bedside and a nave covered with a painted panel. Among his treasures are an opening statue of Our Lady of the Wall dating from 1390, as well as liturgical objects such as a golden silver chalice offered in 1493 by goldsmith Jehan Grahant.

The building benefited from goldwork in the seventeenth century, notably by Guillaume Desboys, who produced several pieces for the church between 1609 and 1633. The sacristy, next to the bedside, and the organ to the west complete this architectural ensemble, marked by the use of granite and schist, typical of the Breton region.

Partly classified since 1914, the tower bears witness to Morlaix's religious and artisanal history, while the present church, more recent in character, perpetuates a medieval and reborn heritage. The site, owned by the municipality, remains an active place of worship and a notable example of the Finnish Christian heritage.

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