This is one of my favorite cities in all of Bretagne, and glad able to visit often, Therefore, is a pleasure to tell you again on the Church of St Mathieu in beautiful Quimper! I have a previous post on it but found me new old pictures that needs to be in my blog, Hope you enjoy the new post as I.
The new Church of Saint Mathieu replaces a 15-16C church. The tower and spire was built in 1845 , and the nave, transept and chancel built between 1895 and 1897, It was finally completed for service on December 13 ,1896. The Church of Saint Mathieu has a Latin cross plan with five naves. Semi-outdoor bell tower with bell chamber cushioned by an openwork octagonal spire decorated with hooks and framed at its base by four lanterns and four openwork pediments. Deep two-bay choir flanked by two side chapels opening onto the transept. Western massif carrying tribune and organ.
The first mention that we have of it was found in cartulary 56 of Saint-Corentin which tell us that in 1209 the Archbishop of Tours confirmed the cession that the Count of Brittany had made to the Bishop of Quimper, of the right of patronage that he had in the Church of Saint-Mathieu. The parish of Saint-Mathieu, seems to have been formed at the end of the 12C, by the dukes of Brittany, to serve the agglomeration on the district of Terre-au-duc formed to the west of the walled city of Quimper . The church was donated in 1209 to the Bishop of Quimper by Guy de Thouars, Duke of Brittany. In 1220, Renaud, elected bishop of Cornouaille, donated to the chapter, the Church of Saint-Mathieu; a canon held it until the French revolution. Afterward, the church was used in 1803 as a fodder store and stable.
The current bell tower is 52 meters above the pavement of the street: it is 10 meters longer than the old one; and the total length of the church, outside, is 54 meters, 47 ,50 meters inside. Its interior width is 20 meters, and its height, under the keystone, about 15 meters. The arms of the transept are each only 2 meters deep. The church, well filled, can contain 1,500 people seated.
From the old church we still can see the old furniture, such as the stained glass window of the Passion, at the back of the apse, the choir stalls, the paintings of the Stations of the Cross, the organ, and, at the bottom of the church, the altar of the Saint-Antoine de Padoue chapel, which is the old altar of the Sacred Heart, minus its baldachin and its statues. Everything else has been acquired since construction. There are three windows forming a triptych in which the whole life of Our Lord is summarized: the window on the left represents scenes from the life of Our Lord before his Passion, that in the middle, the Passion, and that on the right, scenes of his life after his resurrection, You see the wonderful stained glass windows of Saint-Charles, Saint-Elisabeth, Saint-Georges, and Saint-Martin.
The city of Quimper on its heritage: https://www.quimper.bzh/604-lieux-remarquables-a-visiter.htm
The Finistére dept 29 tourist board on Quimper: https://www.toutcommenceenfinistere.com/article/quimper-capitale-de-la-culture-bretonne
The Quimper tourist office on its heritage, see the “fiche inventaire de l’église Saint Mathieu” for more info in French on the church: https://www.quimper-tourisme.bzh/quimper-ville-dart-et-dhistoire/
There you go folks, another nice monument at the beginning of a very old quant neighborhood of St Mathieu that takes you walking all the way to the Cathedral (see post). The area is full of nice shops and restos good for a detour as well. Hope you enjoy the new post on the Church of Saint Mathieu as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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