religious edifices for sale - finistère - in brittany

The seminary chapel

With its floor surface area spanning 900 m², this large chapel has no cause to envy churches. This edifice was constructed at the end of the 19th century on the site of Quimper’s old seminary. Following the passing of the law separating churches and the state in 1905, it was dismantled and then reassembled stone by stone within the perimeter walls of the new large seminary, the works being completed in 1933. Topped with a slate roof, the upper sections of its granite facades feature circular openings in the form of lobed oculi, enhanced with stained glass. Inside the building, two granite spiral stairways, on each side of the entrance door, go up initially to a rostrum overlooking the nave, under which toilet facilities have been installed. The stairways then continue to the attic which features an impressive oak wood roofing framework. Ten alcoves, each housing an altar, are set out on either side of the nave. This presence is explained by the fact that prior to 1965 and the end of the Vatican II council, the concelebration of mass was not authorised in churches so the number of altars was multiplied to allow the simultaneous celebration of several services. The large Virgin, dominating the choir, is flanked on either side by an ambulatory which made it possible for sick priests to attend mass by using a passageway linked directly to the seminary. Most of the stained glass windows are in a good state of repair. Of a good quality, they represent Breton saints and are attributed to Claudius-Lavergne, a glass painter who was also inspector of historic monuments for Prosper-Mérimée. The confessional and the organ case are still in position. Behind the building is a large sacristy spanning approx. 100 m².