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Coordinates: 48°23′20″N 4°29′26″W / 48.38889°N 4.49056°W / 48.38889; -4.49056
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{{AfC submission/draft}}{{Short description|Catholic church located in the region of Brittany, France.}}
{{Short description|Catholic church in Brittany, France.}}

{{Infobox building
{{Infobox building
| name = Saint-Louis de Brest Church
| name = Church of St Louis, Brest
| native_name = Église Saint-Louis de Brest
| native_name_lang = fr
| image = Eglise Saint Louis ~Brest (1).jpg
| image = Eglise Saint Louis ~Brest (1).jpg
| caption = Saint-Louis de Brest church
| caption = Saint-Louis church of Brest
| location_town = Brest, region of Bretagne
| location_town = Brest, region of Bretagne
| location_country = [[France]]
| location_country = [[France]]
Line 12: Line 15:
| architectural_style = [[Modern architecture]]
| architectural_style = [[Modern architecture]]
}}
}}
⚫
The '''Saint-Louis Church of Brest''' is a [[Modern architecture|modern-style]] monument built during the reconstruction of [[Brest, France|Brest]] after [[World War II]], on the ruins of the former church of the same name, which was constructed between 1686 and 1785. The church is dedicated to [[Louis IX of France|Saint Louis]], King of France. Designed by architects Michel, Lacaille, Lechat, Perrin-Houdon, and Weisbein, it is the largest French church rebuilt after the war and was listed as a historical monument in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Église Saint-Louis |url=https://pop.culture.gouv.fr/notice/merimee/PA29000104 |website=Ministry of Culture |language=fr}}</ref>


⚫
The '''Church of St Louis''' is a [[Modern architecture|modern-style]] monument built during the reconstruction of [[Brest, France|Brest]] after [[World War II]], on the ruins of the former church of the same name, which was constructed between 1686 and 1785. The church is dedicated to [[Louis IX of France|Saint Louis]], King of France. Designed by architects Michel, Lacaille, Lechat, Perrin-Houdon, and Weisbein, it is the largest French church rebuilt after the war and was listed as a historical monument in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Église Saint-Louis |url=https://pop.culture.gouv.fr/notice/merimee/PA29000104 |website=Ministry of Culture |language=fr}}</ref>
⚫
== The original Saint-Louis church ==

⚫
The former church was built starting in 1686 and consecrated in 1702, though it was not completed until 1785. Siméon Garangeau, [[Amédée-François Frézier|Amédée François Frézier]], and Pierre-Joachim Besnard<ref>[https://cths.fr/an/savant.php?id=119118][https://cths.fr/an/savant.php?id=119118 Pierre-Joachim Besnard], at ''cths.fr.''</ref> were each successively in charge of the project.<ref>{{Cite web |title=L'église Saint-Louis, de 1742 à 1789 |url=http://www.infobretagne.com/brest-eglise-saintlouis_3.htm |access-date=July 17, 2015 |website=www.infobretagne.com |language=fr}}</ref> The final building was very different from the initial plans. This structure replaced the old Church of the Seven Saints,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=November 11, 2007 |title=Légende des Sept-Saints |url=http://www.wiki-brest.net/index.php/L%C3%A9gende_des_Sept-Saints |access-date=July 17, 2015 |website=wiki-brest.net |language=fr}}</ref> which corresponded to the original parish of Brest and was decommissioned for worship before being destroyed by a fire in 1841.<ref>[[François-Marie Luzel]], note published in the appendix of “The chapel of the Seven Saints in the commune of Vieux-Marché”, Mélusine magazine, 1878, available for consultation at ''[https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k57904847/f113.image.r=Sept-Saints.langFR gallica.bnf.fr]''</ref>
⚫
== The original Church of Saint Louis ==
⚫
The former church was built starting in 1686 and consecrated in 1702, though it was not completed until 1785. Siméon Garangeau, [[Amédée-François Frézier]], and Pierre-Joachim Besnard<ref>[https://cths.fr/an/savant.php?id=119118][https://cths.fr/an/savant.php?id=119118 Pierre-Joachim Besnard], at ''cths.fr.''</ref> were each successively in charge of the project.<ref>{{Cite web |title=L'église Saint-Louis, de 1742 à 1789 |url=http://www.infobretagne.com/brest-eglise-saintlouis_3.htm |access-date=July 17, 2015 |website=www.infobretagne.com |language=fr}}</ref> The final building was very different from the initial plans. This structure replaced the old Church of the Seven Saints ({{langx|fr|Église des Sept-Saints}}),<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=November 11, 2007 |title=Légende des Sept-Saints |url=http://www.wiki-brest.net/index.php/L%C3%A9gende_des_Sept-Saints |access-date=July 17, 2015 |website=wiki-brest.net |language=fr}}</ref> which corresponded to the original parish of Brest and was decommissioned for worship before being destroyed by a fire in 1841.<ref>[[François-Marie Luzel]], note published in the appendix of "The chapel of the Seven Saints in the commune of Vieux-Marché", Mélusine magazine, 1878, available for consultation at ''[https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k57904847/f113.image.r=Sept-Saints.langFR gallica.bnf.fr]''</ref>
[[File:Elevation eglise de Brest.jpg|left|thumb|284x284px|Facade design approx. 1686-1702]]
[[File:Elevation eglise de Brest.jpg|left|thumb|284x284px|Facade design approx. 1686-1702]]
[[File:Amédée-François Frézier.jpg|thumb|Amédée François Frézier, one of the architects responsible for the church and designer of the canopy.|277x277px]]
[[File:Amédée-François Frézier.jpg|thumb|Amédée-François Frézier, one of the architects responsible for the church and designer of the canopy.|277x277px]]
Garangeau had designed the plans in 1688, but construction was halted by a lawsuit from the [[Jesuits]], who considered themselves the owners of the church. When work resumed in 1742, Garangeau’s plans were implemented, but Frézier was able to design the [[Baldachin|canopy]] over the high [[Altar (Catholic Church)|altar]] to his own taste. He placed it, as he desired, in the center of the [[Choir (architecture)|choir]], using four magnificent monolithic columns of [[cipollino marble]] with concentric veins, resembling a sliced onion, which came from the ruins of [[Leptis Magna|''Leptis Magna'']]. [[Louis XIV]] had received a shipment from [[Libya]] in 1689, during his reign’s peak, but four of these columns were "forgotten" and not used at [[Versailles, Yvelines|Versailles]], allowing Frézier to acquire them. Completed in 1758, the canopy of the Saint-Louis Church, a religious architectural work from Frézier’s mature period—he was 76 years old in 1758—was highly praised by contemporaries for both its structure and aesthetic. The painting ''The Martyrdom of the Maccabees'', from the high altar of the old Church of the Seven Saints, was also located there. The presence of this painting in the old Church of the Seven Saints highlights the confusions that emerged over time among several partly legendary accounts of “Seven Saints”: the seven founding saints of Brittany, the Seven Saints of the [[Roadstead of Brest|Brest Harbor]], the seven martyred sons of [[Felicitas of Rome|Saint Felicity]], and the seven children of [[Symphorosa|Saint Symphorosa]] and [[Getulius|Saint Getulius]] from Tibur. Heavily damaged by bombings during World War II and by reprisals from occupying forces in the summer of 1944, the church was ultimately demolished during the post-war reconstruction.<ref name=":0" />
Garangeau had designed the plans in 1688, but construction was halted by a lawsuit from the [[Jesuits]], who considered themselves the owners of the church. When work resumed in 1742, Garangeau's plans were implemented, but Frézier was able to design the [[Baldachin|canopy]] over the high [[Altar (Catholic Church)|altar]] to his own taste. He placed it, as he desired, in the center of the [[Choir (architecture)|choir]], using four magnificent monolithic columns of [[cipollino marble]] with concentric veins, resembling a sliced onion, which came from the ruins of [[Leptis Magna]]. [[Louis XIV]] had received a shipment from [[Libya]] in 1689, during his reign's peak, but four of these columns were "forgotten" and not used at [[Versailles, Yvelines|Versailles]], allowing Frézier to acquire them. Completed in 1758, the canopy of the church, a religious architectural work from Frézier’s mature period — he was 76 years old in 1758 — was highly praised by contemporaries for both its structure and its aesthetic. The painting ''The Martyrdom of the Maccabees'', from the high altar of the old Church of the Seven Saints, was also located there. The presence of this painting in the Church of the Seven Saints highlights the confusions that emerged over time among several partly legendary accounts of "Seven Saints": the seven founding saints of Brittany, the Seven Saints of [[Roadstead of Brest|Brest Harbor]], the seven martyred sons of [[Felicitas of Rome|Saint Felicity]], and the seven children of [[Symphorosa|Saint Symphorosa]] and [[Getulius|Saint Getulius]] from Tibur. Heavily damaged by bombings during World War II and by reprisals from occupying forces in the summer of 1944, the church was ultimately demolished during the post-war reconstruction.<ref name=":0" />
[[File:Saint-Louis.jpg|thumb|Saint-Louis Church before 1944|312x312px]]
[[File:Saint-Louis.jpg|thumb|Church of St Louis before 1944|312x312px]]
[[File:Brest.Église Saint-Louis de Brest.1906.jpg|thumb|277x277px|View of the old Saint-Louis Church, the market halls of the same name, Étienne Dolet Square, and Keravel Street.]]
[[File:Brest.Église Saint-Louis de Brest.1906.jpg|thumb|277x277px|View of the old Church of St Louis, the market halls of the same name, Place Étienne Dolet, and Rue Keravel]]


== The 20th-Century Saint-Louis Church ==
== The 20th-century church ==
The new church was built between 1953 and 1958 following a competition, by the group of architects Yves Michel, Jean Lacaille, Jacques Lechat, Yves Perrin-Houdon, and Hervé Weisbein. It stands 10 meters above the previous church, with some of its ruins still visible in the basement of the current building. Saint-Louis Church is the largest French church rebuilt after the war.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Bretagne |date=2002 |publisher=Monum, éd. du patrimoine |isbn=978-2-85822-728-0 |editor-last=Bretagne |series=Dictionnaire-guide du patrimoine |location=Paris}}</ref> André Quélen, who would later become the bishop of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Moulins|Moulins]], served as its parish priest in the 1960s.
The new church was built between 1953 and 1958 following a competition, by the group of architects Yves Michel, Jean Lacaille, Jacques Lechat, Yves Perrin-Houdon, and Hervé Weisbein. It stands 10 meters above the previous church, some of the ruins of which remain visible in the basement of the current building. The Church of St Louis is the largest French church rebuilt after the war.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Bretagne |date=2002 |publisher=Monum, éd. du patrimoine |isbn=978-2-85822-728-0 |editor-last=Bretagne |series=Dictionnaire-guide du patrimoine |location=Paris}}</ref> André Quélen, who would later become the bishop of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Moulins|Moulins]], served as its parish priest in the 1960s.


Characterized by its vertical architecture, Saint-Louis Church draws inspiration from modern churches in German-speaking [[Switzerland]], particularly the Saint-Antoine Church (''Antoniuskirche)'' and the All Saints Church (''Allerheiligenkirche),''<ref>{{Cite news |title=Basel, All Saints' Church (Allerheiligen): pictures |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/jlp45/albums/72157643626799574 |access-date=2024-11-07 |work=Flickr |language=en-us}}</ref> both located in [[Basel]]. The impressive structure measures 95 meters in length, 27 meters in width, and 24.5 meters in height under the vault. It is flanked by a striking [[reinforced concrete]] bell tower— its size reduced from the original designs<ref name=":1">Alain Boulaire and René Le Bihan, ''Brest,'' ''Éditions Palantines'', June 2004, (ISBN 2911434382), p. 168.</ref> —topped with a copper [[Roof lantern|lantern]] on one side and its baptistery on the other. A window above the [[nave]] illuminates the high altar. The Logonna stone cladding contrasts with the concrete walls, and the almost windowless west wall corresponds to the east stained-glass wall, symbolizing the struggle between Good and Evil; the west wall is also blind due to weathering. The red doors symbolize the blood of the Brestois who died during the war, while their shape evokes that of submarine hatches, serving as a reminder of Brest's maritime history. Notably, the two slender columns at the entrance were not covered in green cipollino marble due to budget constraints.<ref name=":1" />
Characterized by its vertical architecture, the church draws inspiration from modern churches in German-speaking [[Switzerland]], particularly the Church of [[Anthony the Great|Saint Anthony]] (''Antoniuskirche)'' and All Saints' Church (''Allerheiligenkirche''),<ref>{{Cite news |title=Basel, All Saints' Church (Allerheiligen): pictures |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/jlp45/albums/72157643626799574 |access-date=2024-11-07 |work=Flickr |language=en-us}}</ref> both located in [[Basel]]. The impressive structure measures 95 meters in length, 27 meters in width, and 24.5 meters in height under the vault. It is flanked by a striking [[reinforced concrete]] bell tower — its size reduced from the original designs<ref name=":1">Alain Boulaire and René Le Bihan, ''Brest'', ''Éditions Palantines'', June 2004, (ISBN 2911434382), p. 168.</ref> — topped with a copper [[Roof lantern|lantern]] on one side and its [[baptistery]] on the other. A window above the [[nave]] illuminates the high altar. The [[Logonna]] stone cladding contrasts with the concrete walls, and the almost windowless west wall corresponds to the east stained-glass wall, symbolizing the struggle between Good and Evil; the west wall is also blind due to weathering. The red doors symbolize the blood of the Brestois who died during the war, while their shape evokes that of submarine hatches, serving as a reminder of Brest's maritime history. The two slender columns at the entrance were not covered in green cipollino marble due to budget constraints.<ref name=":1" />


Although the building remains controversial and somewhat unfinished with its truncated bell tower and missing cladding, the new Saint-Louis Church is one of the few reconstructed buildings in Brest that exemplifies architectural ambition and innovation. The modern art present inside the church is particularly well-executed, featuring the high altar and the crucifix above the sanctuary, created by Philippe Kaeppelin,<ref>Fifty-seven years later, in 2015, the artist [[:fr:Dominique_Kaeppelin|Dominique Kaeppelin]] completed the work of his father [[:fr:Philippe_Kaeppelin|Philippe Kaeppelin]] by creating an ambo, presidential seats and a singing desk for the church choir.</ref> as well as the altar in the chapel of the [[Eucharist in the Catholic Church|Eucharist]] (also by the same sculptor). The tapestry by Jean Olin, hung above the altar for the chapel of the Eucharist, and the [[stained glass]] windows are significant highlights of the overall design. On the northeast side of the nave, the windows by Maurice Rocher depict four [[List of Breton saints|Breton saints]] (Pol de Léon, Corentin, Guénolé, and Yves) along with seven other saints and prophets.<ref>Anne Rocher, “The painter Maurice Rocher and stained glass”, ''Le Point Riche magazine'', no. 11, June 2013, p. 67.</ref> The windows in the choir, southwest side of the nave, and the chapel of the Eucharist were designed by Paul Bony, Jacques Bony, and Léon Zack, respectively.<ref>Yann Celton, diocesan archivist, ''Ar Men'' review, no. 62.</ref>
Although the building remains controversial and somewhat unfinished with its truncated bell tower and missing cladding, the new Church of St Louis is one of the few reconstructed buildings in Brest that exemplifies architectural ambition and innovation. The modern art present inside the church is particularly well-executed, featuring the high altar and the crucifix above the sanctuary, created by Philippe Kaeppelin,<ref>Fifty-seven years later, in 2015, the artist [[:fr:Dominique_Kaeppelin|Dominique Kaeppelin]] completed the work of his father [[:fr:Philippe_Kaeppelin|Philippe Kaeppelin]] by creating an [[Pulpit|ambo]], presidential seats and a singing desk for the church choir.</ref> as well as the altar in the chapel of the [[Eucharist in the Catholic Church|Eucharist]] (also by the same sculptor). The tapestry by Jean Olin, hung above the altar for the chapel of the Eucharist, and the [[stained glass]] windows are significant highlights of the overall design. On the northeast side of the nave, the windows by Maurice Rocher depict four [[List of Breton saints|Breton saints]] ([[Pol de Léon]], [[Corentin of Quimper|Corentin]], [[Winwaloe]], and [[Ivo of Kermartin|Ivo]]) along with seven other saints and prophets.<ref>Anne Rocher, "The painter Maurice Rocher and stained glass", ''Le Point Riche magazine'', no. 11, June 2013, p. 67.</ref> The windows in the choir, southwest side of the nave, and the chapel of the Eucharist were designed by Paul Bony, Jacques Bony, and Léon Zack, respectively.<ref>Yann Celton, diocesan archivist, ''Ar Men'' review, no. 62.</ref>


== Chalice ==
== Stolen chalice then recovered ==
The [[chalice]] has a very particular history linked to the most dramatic moments in Brest's recent past. It was crafted from the gold and silver of the jewelry worn by the victims of the Sadi-Carnot shelter. After the tragedy, the gold and silver from the victims' jewelry were collected. The families expressed their wish for a chalice to be made from the solid silver, adorned with the precious stones recovered from the shelter.[[File:Station 14 of the Stations of the Cross.png|thumb|198x198px|Station 14 of the Stations of the Cross|left]]
The [[chalice]] has a very particular history linked to the most dramatic moments in Brest's recent past. It was crafted from the gold and silver of the jewelry worn by the victims of the [[:fr:Explosion de l'abri Sadi-Carnot|Sadi-Carnot shelter disaster]]{{clarify|date=November 2024}}. After the tragedy, the gold and silver from the victims' jewelry were collected. The families expressed their wish for a chalice to be made from the solid silver, adorned with the precious stones recovered from the shelter.


The chalice was stolen on January 15, 2008, but was recovered a few days later thanks to the vigilance of an antique dealer.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 18, 2008 |title=Le calice de l'église Saint-Louis volé |trans-title=The stolen chalice of the Saint-Louis church |url=https://brest.maville.com/actu/actudet_-Le-calice-de-l-eglise-Saint-Louis-vole-_loc-536786_actu.Htm |website=brest.maville.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 18, 2008 |title=Le calice de l'église Saint-Louis retrouvé |trans-title=The found chalice of the Saint-Louis church |url=https://brest.maville.com/actu/actudet_-Le-calice-de-l-eglise-Saint-Louis-retrouve_6210-537623_actu.Htm |website=brest.maville.com}}</ref>
The chalice was stolen on January 15, 2008, but was recovered a few days later thanks to the vigilance of an antique dealer.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 18, 2008 |title=Le calice de l'église Saint-Louis volé |trans-title=The stolen chalice of the Saint-Louis church |url=https://brest.maville.com/actu/actudet_-Le-calice-de-l-eglise-Saint-Louis-vole-_loc-536786_actu.Htm |website=brest.maville.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 18, 2008 |title=Le calice de l'église Saint-Louis retrouvé |trans-title=The found chalice of the Saint-Louis church |url=https://brest.maville.com/actu/actudet_-Le-calice-de-l-eglise-Saint-Louis-retrouve_6210-537623_actu.Htm |website=brest.maville.com}}</ref>

== Stations of the Cross ==
== Stations of the Cross ==
The [[Stations of the Cross]] were delivered in April 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 19, 2017 |title=Église Saint-Louis. Le Chemin de croix de Marion Le Bec en place |trans-title=Marion Le Bec's Stations of the Cross in place |url=https://www.letelegramme.fr/finistere/brest-29200/spaneglise-saint-louisspan-le-chemin-de-croix-de-marion-le-bec-en-place-2977739.php |website=Le Télégramme |language=fr}}</ref> They were created by Marion Le Bec,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Marion Le Bec |url=http://www.marionlebec.fr/a-propos/ |access-date=April 27, 2018 |website=www.marionlebec.fr |language=fr}}</ref> who explains that [[Mel Gibson]]'s film ''[[The Passion of the Christ]]'' inspired her. This set of Stations of the Cross is notable for having an additional station: Station 15, themed around Mercy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=La plus grande église de France a enfin son chemin de Croix |trans-title=The largest church in France finally has its Stations of the Cross |url=https://fr.aleteia.org/2018/04/20/la-plus-grande-eglise-de-france-a-enfin-son-chemin-de-croix |access-date=April 27, 2018 |website=fr.aleteia.org |language=fr}}</ref>
The [[Stations of the Cross]] were delivered in April 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 19, 2017 |title=Église Saint-Louis. Le Chemin de croix de Marion Le Bec en place |trans-title=Marion Le Bec's Stations of the Cross in place |url=https://www.letelegramme.fr/finistere/brest-29200/spaneglise-saint-louisspan-le-chemin-de-croix-de-marion-le-bec-en-place-2977739.php |website=Le Télégramme |language=fr}}</ref> They were created by Marion Le Bec,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Marion Le Bec |url=http://www.marionlebec.fr/a-propos/ |access-date=April 27, 2018 |website=www.marionlebec.fr |language=fr}}</ref> who explains that [[Mel Gibson]]'s film ''[[The Passion of the Christ]]'' inspired her. This set of Stations of the Cross is notable for having an additional station: Station 15, themed around Mercy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=La plus grande église de France a enfin son chemin de Croix |trans-title=The largest church in France finally has its Stations of the Cross |url=https://fr.aleteia.org/2018/04/20/la-plus-grande-eglise-de-france-a-enfin-son-chemin-de-croix |access-date=April 27, 2018 |website=fr.aleteia.org |language=fr}}</ref>
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{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


== See also ==
== External links ==
⚫
{{Portal|Catholic Church}}

=== External links ===

* Resources related to architecture: [https://www.pop.culture.gouv.fr/notice/merimee/PA00110741 Mérimée]
* Resources related to architecture: [https://www.pop.culture.gouv.fr/notice/merimee/PA00110741 Mérimée]
* Resources on the region: [https://patrimoine.bretagne.bzh/ Région Bretagne]
* Resources on the region: [https://patrimoine.bretagne.bzh/ Région Bretagne]
* Resources on religion: [http://www.clochers.org/Fichiers_HTML/Accueil/Accueil_clochers/61/accueil_61038.htm Clochers de France] [https://www.patrimoine-religieux.fr/eglises_edifices/0-wd/0-wd/147418-wd Observatoire du patrimoine religieux] (Religious heritage observatory)
* Resources on religion: [http://www.clochers.org/Fichiers_HTML/Accueil/Accueil_clochers/61/accueil_61038.htm Clochers de France] [https://www.patrimoine-religieux.fr/eglises_edifices/0-wd/0-wd/147418-wd Observatoire du patrimoine religieux] (Religious heritage observatory)

⚫
{{Portal|Catholic Church
⚫
[[Category:20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in France]]
}}{{Draft categories|{{Draft categories|
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[[Category:Catholic churches in France| ]]
[[Category:Modernist architecture]]
[[Category:Modernist architecture]]
[[:Category:Brittany]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Brest, France]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic churches completed in 1958]]
}}
}}

Revision as of 12:30, 14 November 2024

Church of St Louis, Brest
Église Saint-Louis de Brest
Saint-Louis church of Brest
Map
General information
TypeParish church
Architectural styleModern architecture
Town or cityBrest, region of Bretagne
CountryFrance
Coordinates48°23′20″N 4°29′26″W / 48.38889°N 4.49056°W / 48.38889; -4.49056
Year(s) built1953 - 1958
Design and construction
Architect(s)Siméon Garangeau, Amédée François Frézier et Pierre-Joachim Besnard.

The Church of St Louis is a modern-style monument built during the reconstruction of Brest after World War II, on the ruins of the former church of the same name, which was constructed between 1686 and 1785. The church is dedicated to Saint Louis, King of France. Designed by architects Michel, Lacaille, Lechat, Perrin-Houdon, and Weisbein, it is the largest French church rebuilt after the war and was listed as a historical monument in 2018.[1]

The original Church of Saint Louis

The former church was built starting in 1686 and consecrated in 1702, though it was not completed until 1785. Siméon Garangeau, Amédée-François Frézier, and Pierre-Joachim Besnard[2] were each successively in charge of the project.[3] The final building was very different from the initial plans. This structure replaced the old Church of the Seven Saints (French: Église des Sept-Saints),[4] which corresponded to the original parish of Brest and was decommissioned for worship before being destroyed by a fire in 1841.[5]

Facade design approx. 1686-1702
Amédée-François Frézier, one of the architects responsible for the church and designer of the canopy.

Garangeau had designed the plans in 1688, but construction was halted by a lawsuit from the Jesuits, who considered themselves the owners of the church. When work resumed in 1742, Garangeau's plans were implemented, but Frézier was able to design the canopy over the high altar to his own taste. He placed it, as he desired, in the center of the choir, using four magnificent monolithic columns of cipollino marble with concentric veins, resembling a sliced onion, which came from the ruins of Leptis Magna. Louis XIV had received a shipment from Libya in 1689, during his reign's peak, but four of these columns were "forgotten" and not used at Versailles, allowing Frézier to acquire them. Completed in 1758, the canopy of the church, a religious architectural work from Frézier’s mature period — he was 76 years old in 1758 — was highly praised by contemporaries for both its structure and its aesthetic. The painting The Martyrdom of the Maccabees, from the high altar of the old Church of the Seven Saints, was also located there. The presence of this painting in the Church of the Seven Saints highlights the confusions that emerged over time among several partly legendary accounts of "Seven Saints": the seven founding saints of Brittany, the Seven Saints of Brest Harbor, the seven martyred sons of Saint Felicity, and the seven children of Saint Symphorosa and Saint Getulius from Tibur. Heavily damaged by bombings during World War II and by reprisals from occupying forces in the summer of 1944, the church was ultimately demolished during the post-war reconstruction.[4]

Church of St Louis before 1944
View of the old Church of St Louis, the market halls of the same name, Place Étienne Dolet, and Rue Keravel

The 20th-century church

The new church was built between 1953 and 1958 following a competition, by the group of architects Yves Michel, Jean Lacaille, Jacques Lechat, Yves Perrin-Houdon, and Hervé Weisbein. It stands 10 meters above the previous church, some of the ruins of which remain visible in the basement of the current building. The Church of St Louis is the largest French church rebuilt after the war.[6] André Quélen, who would later become the bishop of Moulins, served as its parish priest in the 1960s.

Characterized by its vertical architecture, the church draws inspiration from modern churches in German-speaking Switzerland, particularly the Church of Saint Anthony (Antoniuskirche) and All Saints' Church (Allerheiligenkirche),[7] both located in Basel. The impressive structure measures 95 meters in length, 27 meters in width, and 24.5 meters in height under the vault. It is flanked by a striking reinforced concrete bell tower — its size reduced from the original designs[8] — topped with a copper lantern on one side and its baptistery on the other. A window above the nave illuminates the high altar. The Logonna stone cladding contrasts with the concrete walls, and the almost windowless west wall corresponds to the east stained-glass wall, symbolizing the struggle between Good and Evil; the west wall is also blind due to weathering. The red doors symbolize the blood of the Brestois who died during the war, while their shape evokes that of submarine hatches, serving as a reminder of Brest's maritime history. The two slender columns at the entrance were not covered in green cipollino marble due to budget constraints.[8]

Although the building remains controversial and somewhat unfinished with its truncated bell tower and missing cladding, the new Church of St Louis is one of the few reconstructed buildings in Brest that exemplifies architectural ambition and innovation. The modern art present inside the church is particularly well-executed, featuring the high altar and the crucifix above the sanctuary, created by Philippe Kaeppelin,[9] as well as the altar in the chapel of the Eucharist (also by the same sculptor). The tapestry by Jean Olin, hung above the altar for the chapel of the Eucharist, and the stained glass windows are significant highlights of the overall design. On the northeast side of the nave, the windows by Maurice Rocher depict four Breton saints (Pol de Léon, Corentin, Winwaloe, and Ivo) along with seven other saints and prophets.[10] The windows in the choir, southwest side of the nave, and the chapel of the Eucharist were designed by Paul Bony, Jacques Bony, and Léon Zack, respectively.[11]

Chalice

The chalice has a very particular history linked to the most dramatic moments in Brest's recent past. It was crafted from the gold and silver of the jewelry worn by the victims of the Sadi-Carnot shelter disaster[clarification needed]. After the tragedy, the gold and silver from the victims' jewelry were collected. The families expressed their wish for a chalice to be made from the solid silver, adorned with the precious stones recovered from the shelter.

The chalice was stolen on January 15, 2008, but was recovered a few days later thanks to the vigilance of an antique dealer.[12][13]

Stations of the Cross

The Stations of the Cross were delivered in April 2017.[14] They were created by Marion Le Bec,[15] who explains that Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ inspired her. This set of Stations of the Cross is notable for having an additional station: Station 15, themed around Mercy.[16]

Notes and References

  1. ^ "Église Saint-Louis". Ministry of Culture (in French).
  2. ^ [1]Pierre-Joachim Besnard, at cths.fr.
  3. ^ "L'église Saint-Louis, de 1742 à 1789". www.infobretagne.com (in French). Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Légende des Sept-Saints". wiki-brest.net (in French). November 11, 2007. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  5. ^ François-Marie Luzel, note published in the appendix of "The chapel of the Seven Saints in the commune of Vieux-Marché", Mélusine magazine, 1878, available for consultation at gallica.bnf.fr
  6. ^ Bretagne, ed. (2002). Bretagne. Dictionnaire-guide du patrimoine. Paris: Monum, éd. du patrimoine. ISBN 978-2-85822-728-0.
  7. ^ "Basel, All Saints' Church (Allerheiligen): pictures". Flickr. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  8. ^ a b Alain Boulaire and René Le Bihan, Brest, Éditions Palantines, June 2004, (ISBN 2911434382), p. 168.
  9. ^ Fifty-seven years later, in 2015, the artist Dominique Kaeppelin completed the work of his father Philippe Kaeppelin by creating an ambo, presidential seats and a singing desk for the church choir.
  10. ^ Anne Rocher, "The painter Maurice Rocher and stained glass", Le Point Riche magazine, no. 11, June 2013, p. 67.
  11. ^ Yann Celton, diocesan archivist, Ar Men review, no. 62.
  12. ^ "Le calice de l'église Saint-Louis volé" [The stolen chalice of the Saint-Louis church]. brest.maville.com. January 18, 2008.
  13. ^ "Le calice de l'église Saint-Louis retrouvé" [The found chalice of the Saint-Louis church]. brest.maville.com. January 18, 2008.
  14. ^ "Église Saint-Louis. Le Chemin de croix de Marion Le Bec en place" [Marion Le Bec's Stations of the Cross in place]. Le Télégramme (in French). April 19, 2017.
  15. ^ "Marion Le Bec". www.marionlebec.fr (in French). Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  16. ^ "La plus grande église de France a enfin son chemin de Croix" [The largest church in France finally has its Stations of the Cross]. fr.aleteia.org (in French). Retrieved April 27, 2018.
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