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Origin and history

The church Saint-Pierre de Sérent, located in the Morbihan department in Brittany, is a religious building built mainly in the 15th and 16th centuries. It presents a Latin cross plan, typical of the churches of this period, with a nave leading to a flat bedside. The lateral elevations, marked by multiple gables and pinnacle foothills, are pierced with broken hanger bays maintaining their flamboyant network. The choir, dated the 15th century, is occupied by a large glass window, while the lower sides, added later, bear the date of 1601 on a sandière. The bell tower, originally built between the 15th and 16th centuries, was rebuilt between 1885 and 1890 after being shot down in 1876.

The south gate, inscribed in a broken hanger bay, includes a central pillar door and a flamboyant glass tympanum. To the west, the gate in the middle of the hanger is surmounted by a braid decorated with vegetal motifs, framed with pinnacle pilasters. The capitals and bases of the columns of the transept, dated from the 16th century, illustrate a transition between medieval and cylindrical Renaissance polygonal forms. The coat of arms of Bishop Amaury de la Motte (1409–1332), carved on an entrance of the choir, attests to his involvement in the initial construction. The glass windows, mostly from the 19th century, replace older openings, with the exception of that of the north transept.

Ranked a historical monument in 1946, St Peter's church reflects architectural evolutions between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Its surrounding cemetery, abolished in 1852, and the reconstruction of the bell tower by architect Le Diberder testify to the transformations undergone in the nineteenth century. The building, owned by the commune of Sérent, preserves remarkable decorative elements, such as the gables adorned with cabbages, hooks or Renaissance windings, as well as dated sandstones, offering an overview of the artistic techniques and styles of these eras.

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