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Origin and history

The Saint-Guénolé church of Batz-sur-Mer, located in the Loire-Atlantique, is a Catholic building built in the 15th and 16th centuries on the site of an old church dedicated to Saint Cyr and Saint Julitte. The monks of Landévennec, linked to Saint Guénole (founder of their monastery and patron saint), made it a place of worship under his protection. Its flamboyant Gothic architecture, characteristic of the late 14th and early 15th centuries, is distinguished by wide-open arches and a keg vault.

The current tower, 60 meters high and surmounted by a pinnacle bell, dates from 1677. It replaces a wooden bell tower destroyed by lightning in 1603 and 1657. Its financing was provided by a local wine tax. From its top, the view embraces the island of Noirmoutier and Belle-Île in clear weather. The interior contains remarkable elements: statues, two 17th-century organs, glass windows, and carved arch keys, one of which represents Notre-Dame-du-Precieux-Sang.

Ranked a Historical Monument in 1909, the church preserves two fires: that of the priors of Batz and that of the Bouchart family, lords of Kerboucart. A window on the right side commemorates his consecration in 1428. The choir, deviated, and the massive pillars supporting the Gothic arches add to its architectural originality. Furniture and liturgical objects are listed in the general inventory of cultural heritage.

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