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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Gobrian, located in Morieux (Lamballe-Armor, Côtes-d) Armor, is dedicated to Saint Gobrien, bishop of Vannes in the eighth century. Its Romanesque origin (late 11th or early 12th century) is attested by its western gable, elevations and its diaphragm arch. From 1343 onwards, it was dependent on Boquen Abbey, which maintained it. The excavations of 1998 reveal an initial choir narrower than the nave, reworked in the 15th century with the addition of collaterals and a northern lateral chapel.

Painted decoration campaigns run from the 12th to the 17th century, funded by archived donations. In 1750, the frescoes were covered with a coating during a reblanchement. The building, listed as Monument Historique in 1989, was classified in 1995 after the rediscovery of its paintings in 1993. A major restoration (1998) reveals 450 m2 of scenery, including biblical scenes (Passion, life of the saints) and a 14th century agricultural calendar.

The architecture juxtaposes Romanesque elements (single-vessel nave, polychrome granite and ferroruginous pudding) and Gothic elements (extended flat hair, broken arches, carved capitals). The western façade, typically Breton, features four foothills in red sandstone and a door in full hanger. The frame bell tower, the filling bays and the committed Romanesque columns (including an archaic 10th century capital) illustrate this stylistic duality.

The frescoes, among the best preserved in Brittany, adorn walls and arches: scenes of Christ (XIIIth–XIVth centuries), Passion (XVth century), and martyrs of saints (Saint Lucia, Saint Stephen). Furniture and armored tombstones evoke the devotions of the 19th to 20th centuries. The church, a communal property, benefited from restorations in 1899, 1992–1994 (outside) and 1995–2002 (inside).

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