Explore our nugget The church of Saint Ouen des Iffs

See you at Les Iffs!

At the heart of romantic Brittany, situated on the small commune of Les Iffs, the church of Saint-Ouen des Iffs owes its prosperity to the pilgrimage to Saint Fiacre, the flourishing trade of canvas merchants and the proximity of the Château de Montmuran.

An exterior representative of Breton churches…

Like many Breton churches, the church of Saint-Ouen is characterised by its location at the heart of a parish enclosure featuring several hundred-year-old iffs, including one listed as a “remarkable tree”. A parish enclosure is a religious complex grouping together a church, a cemetery, a calvary and an ossuary within the same enclosure.

The building of the site was undertaken by the lords of Montmuran castle, the Laval family in the 15th century and the Coligny family in the 16th century. The church is characterised by its flamboyant Gothic style and its entrance porch pierced by 3 pointed arch arches which still houses the stone benches, once intended for lepers who were unable to attend services. In 1875,Rennais architect Arthur Regnault undertook the construction of an openwork, richly sculpted bell tower in the Finistère Gothic style.

To discover the church’s real treasures, you have to push open the doors. As you enter, you’ll have the opportunity to admire the magnificent 16th-century stained glass windows depicting the Passion of Christ, two beautiful polychromed wooden bas-reliefs representing the twelve apostles, a sculpted font dating from 1458 and a richly ornate choir. We invite you to look up to enjoy the pretty vault in the shape of an inverted ship’s hull.

To extend your discovery of the local heritage…

explore the surrounding area by going to the Fontaine Saint-Fiacre, it is possible to visit the Château de Montmuran in season and the 11 locks at Hédé-Bazouges, a very fine example of human engineering.