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Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativity, also known as the Church of Trescalan, is a Roman Catholic building located in the municipality of La Turballe, Loire-Atlantique. Built on the coast of Guérande, it peaks at 70 meters high, adding 45 meters of altitude. Its steeple, accessible by 110 steps, offers 360° views of the Brière marshes and the estuaries of the Loire and Vilaine. The platform, opened to the public since 1990, also allows to admire the structure of the vault.

Before the 17th century, the inhabitants of Trescalan and the neighbouring hamlets had to walk to the collegiate Saint-Aubin de Guérande, distant from two leagues, to attend the offices. In 1703, after years of repeated requests to the monks of the abbey Saint-Sauveur of Redon, a first chapel, Notre-Dame-de-la-Miséricorde, was erected on the hillside. Dedicated to Saint Apolline, in 1787 she received the right to welcome baptismal fonts and to sing vespers. Despite restoration work, the inhabitants demanded an independent parish, obtained in 1847 by order of Louis-Philippe.

The chapel, which had become too small, was replaced by the present church, whose plans were drawn in 1852 by the architect Faucheux in a monumental neo-Roman style. The works, slowed down by financing problems, were completed in 1871, after the creation of the municipality of La Turballe in 1865. The bell tower, originally planned sharp, is finally overcome by an eight-part roof due to budgetary constraints. The building houses two former sailors, models of boats classified as historical monuments, including a three-mast dedicated to Pope Pius IX, carved by Brother Victor between 1861 and 1865.

In 1931, a fire partially damaged the church, quickly controlled by the residents. Six years later, a storm moved the structure of the bell tower, replaced in 1938 by a concrete platform. During the Second World War, the German army occupied the town of Trescalan and used the platform as a surveillance post (1941-1945). In 1950, the parish of La Turballe was officially established, but its seat was transferred to the church of Sainte-Anne. The church of Trescalan nevertheless retains its traditional furniture, including a 16th century bronze bridal crown, classified as a historic monument in 1979.

Until the middle of the 20th century, the church square was home to the parish kermesse, animated by games and school shows. In 2020, the church was honoured during the broadcast of the TV Mass The Day of the Lord on France 2. Today, it remains a symbol of the religious and architectural heritage of the Gueranda peninsula, mixing local history, maritime devotion and remarkable panorama.

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