Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Mélaine de Morlaix finds its origins in a 12th century chapel, the chapel of Sainte-Marie, originally attached to the parish of Ploujean. In 1149-1157 Guyomarcoth III, Viscount of Leo, then his son Hervé II in 1154, gave this place to the abbey of Saint-Melaine in Rennes, thus founding a priory. The chapel then became the prioral church of Sainte-Marie, then Notre-Dame, before being secularized and erected as a parish church under the name of Saint-Melaine. The exact date of this transition is unknown, but its central role in local religious life is attested from the Middle Ages.

In the 15th century, in the face of the demographic increase of Morlaix, parishioners considered the church too small and outdated. They decided to rebuild it entirely without interrupting the cult, financed by a "church size" imposed on all and gifts of wealthy bourgeois. The work began on 6 July 1489 with the south porch, as evidenced by an inscription engraved by carved angels: "The year one thousand four hundred and eighty nine was comanced ceste church by God". The Beaumanoir family, a renowned stone tailor, played a key role: Beaumanoir le Vieil, Étienne, and Beaumanoir le Jeune took part in it in 1490, while Philippe Beaumanoir led the construction of the tower between 1511 and 1516.

The tower, covered with a lead Renaissance dome topped by a lantern, was completed only in 1574, after the installation of a clock in 1564. In the 17th century, the southern porch and its inner tympanum were decorated with paintings by Lozesh (1610-1611). During the Revolution, the church was closed to worship and converted into a food store, before being restored as a parish in 1856. In 1879, the Renaissance dome was replaced by a wooden arrow covered with zinc. Damaged during a bombing in 1943, it was partially rebuilt, with the addition of an enlarged sacristy.

The building, classified as a historic monument in 1914, illustrates Breton Gothic architecture, with its three wooden vaulted naves and its adorned south porch. Its history reflects Morlaix's religious, political and social upheavals, from medieval donations to modern restorations, to the conflicts of the twentieth century. The Beaumanoir family, a major figure in its construction, left a lasting impression, while wills, such as that of Nicolas Coetanlem, demonstrated its importance in local memory.

Today, the Church of Saint Melaine remains a symbol of the Finnish religious heritage, mixing medieval heritage, Renaissance and contemporary adaptations. Its classification and preservation underline its historical and architectural value, while recalling its central role in Morlais community life for nearly nine centuries.

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