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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame-du-Tertre, located in Châtelaudren (Côtes-d'Armor), is a building whose origins date back to the late 13th or early 14th century for its bedside. Almost entirely rebuilt in the late 14th or early 15th century (nef), it underwent many later modifications: choir and lateral porch at the end of the 15th century, bell tower in 1560, and additions to the 17th and 19th centuries. Its plan includes a nave of four spans, a choir of three spans, and a bell tower to the west resting on oblique foothills.

The walled vault of the church is decorated with 15th century paintings illustrating scenes from the Old Testament as well as the life and Passion of Christ. The choir, illuminated by windows dating from the late 13th century, bears witness to the transition between Gothic and Renaissance styles. The building was classified as a historic monument by order of 19 August 1907, recognizing its exceptional heritage value.

The successive changes reflect the architectural and liturgical evolution of the region. In 1703 the southern farmhouse and the chapel of Sainte-Marguerite were added, while the top of the bell tower was redesigned in 1740. The sacristy was built between 1757 and 1758, and a later chapel was added to the north in the nineteenth century. These changes illustrate the building's ongoing adaptation to the needs of the local community.

The south porch, open to the right of the second span of the nave, and the chapel in the shape of a semi-croix grafted to the south, underline the symbolic and practical importance of the church in the religious and social life of Châtelaudren. The diaphragm arch, once separating the nave from the choir, has now disappeared, changing the internal perception of space.

The Church of Notre-Dame-du-Tertre thus embodies nearly seven centuries of Breton architectural history, mixing medieval, reborn and modern elements. Its classification among historical monuments protects a major artistic and cultural heritage, including its 15th century murals, rare testimonies of the religious iconography of this period in Brittany.

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