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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, located in the former village of Lanriec (now attached to Concarneau), was built under the patronage of Notre-Dame de Lorette, invoked during epidemics of plague of the sixteenth century in the region of Quimper. The nave, built around 1477, carries the coat of arms of Yvon de Treanna, lord of Moros, responsible for supervising the works of the walls of the City of Concarneau. This link between the two projects reflects the strategic and religious importance of the time.

The building, rectangular, includes a three-span nave with low sides and a choir extended by narrower sides. Its bell tower, of Cornouaillais type, dominates the west side, while the whole, without sculptures (outside the bell tower), contrasts with the usual richness of the Breton churches. A granite calvary, probably from the seventeenth century, adorns the placister: it consists of a cross without Christ, four square steps, and biface statues on consoles.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the church escaped demolition by virtue of the Law for the Separation of Churches and the State (1905), before being listed for historical monuments with its calvary and enclosure by order of 26 June 1968. The sacristy, added in 1862, and a porch adjacent to the south face testify to subsequent evolutions. The ensemble, communal property, illustrates the adaptation of places of worship to parish needs and historical hazards.

The site, marked by its wooded enclosure and its ordeal with ritual characteristics (the third walk serving as altar table), reflects Breton religious practices. The decrease in the width of the building, from the bell tower to the choir, and the absence of carved decorations (outside the bell tower) highlight a rare architectural sobriety, perhaps linked to financial constraints or a local aesthetic choice.

The sources also mention its role in collective memory, linked to epidemics and divine protection, as well as its integration into the religious landscape of Finistère. Today, the church remains a witness of the 16th and 19th centuries, between medieval heritage and modern transformations, anchored in the territory of Concarnois.

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