Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-la-Rivière

Domloup

In the hollow of a damp valley, on the banks of the Yaigne, the chapel of Notre-Dame-de-la-Rivière — also known as Notre-Dame-des-Marais — keeps alive a Marian devotion attested since at least the late 16th century. A parish already existed on this site from the 12th century, but the present building, ravaged by the destruction of the Hundred Years' War, was rebuilt in the Gothic style at the end of the 15th century: a modest rectangular vessel, without transept, whose east end with stepped buttresses contrasts with the richness of the decoration. The facade displays a carved heraldic programme — five banners and three coats of arms supported by angels, including the arms of the lords of Châteaugiron — a sign that the chapel was also a place of seigneurial memory. But it was the pilgrimage that made its reputation: from 1594, the churchwardens' accounts record payments to the banner-bearers at four annual processions. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Rennes parishes of Saint-Hélier and Saint-Sauveur came here in procession, notably at Rogationtide and on the Assumption, to invoke the Virgin against fevers. A polychrome wooden statue of the Virgin and Child was venerated here until the early 20th century. The floor of glazed tiles in blue-green and orange-yellow, laid in geometric patterns, adds an unexpected touch of colour to this discreet sanctuary nestled in the countryside around Rennes.

Getting there : Free admission (opening hours to be checked)

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound