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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

La Tour d'Auvergne High School in Quimper includes a chapel built in the 17th and 18th centuries, classified as a Historic Monument since 1932. This religious building, designed according to the plans of Father Martellange, is inspired by the destroyed chapel of the Parisian Jesuit novitiate on Rue du Pot-de-Fer. Its architecture combines a two-span nave with a low side, a crumb transept, and a chorus finished with a cul-de-four apse. The structure combines granite in base and limestone for the upper parts, while the cradle vaults and the central dome highlight its baroque style.

The interior decoration is based on doric triglyphic pilasters and entanglements, reflecting the classical influence of Jesuit order. The façade, decorated with doric and ionic orders, bears witness to a search for proportional harmony. The building, owned by the municipality of Quimper, illustrates the religious architectural heritage of Brittany, marked by the use of local materials such as the granite of Finistère. Its inscription in 1932 underscores its heritage value, linked to both its Jesuit history and its conception by Martellange, a major figure in religious architecture of the time.

The location of the high school, right in the centre of Quimper (5 Place Claude le Coz), and its cartographic accuracy considered "passable" (note 5/10) reflect the conservation challenges of a monument integrated with a modern school. The chapel, although protected, remains a rare example in Brittany of religious architecture inspired by Parisian models, adapted to local resources and know-how. Its history is part of that of the Society of Jesus, whose influence extended from large urban centres to provinces such as Finistère.

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