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Origin and history

The church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul of Bignan, located in Morbihan, is a Catholic religious building built at the end of the 18th century. It is distinguished by its classical style, rare in Brittany, and its Latin cross plan. The initiative of its construction came from the Rector Pierre Nourry, who drew the plans and laid the first stone on 19 August 1787. The project replaces an old Romanesque church in ruins, but the works are interrupted by the French Revolution and the flight of the refractory Abbé Nourry. They did not return until 1801, after his return.

The project spans several decades because of financial, political and technical constraints. Pierre Nourry, who died in 1804, was buried in the church. The bells were installed in 1807, while the bell tower, still unfinished (without its arrow), was erected between 1824 and 1857. The building incorporates remarkable elements such as an 18th-century high altar, an original baldachin, and a 1625 stained glass window representing a local religious scene. The ensemble — church, sacristy, furniture and placister — was listed for historical monuments in February 2016.

The church architecture combines size stones and square pillars delineating the nave and the lower side. The old stained glass window, prior to the current construction, bears witness to the cultural continuity of the site. Although the bell tower remains unfinished, the building illustrates the challenges of religious construction in times of political upheaval, while preserving a significant movable and architectural heritage.

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