Restes de l'église Notre-Dame de Botmel

Callac

In the hamlet of Botmel, a tower topped with a campanile and three granite nave arcades are all that remains of a large church. This was the parish church of Callac until the 19th century. According to the Inventaire général file, the main structure dates from the second half of the 15th century, the Mérimée record placing it in the 16th; the building was then enlarged in stages: the chancel in 1628 by Le Gac de Lesmaes, the tower and chapels between 1633 and 1644 under Louis Le Goaziou, Le Gonidec and Jean Calvez, and the transept in the 18th century by Pierre-Claude Duchemin. Botmel was also a place of pilgrimage: during the great pardons, InfoBretagne reports, the statue of Notre-Dame was dressed in a richly embroidered white tunic and a blue veil studded with gold stars, and the Virgin was shown there with her arms outstretched in a cross, as if rising upward. When Callac, a former trève of Botmel, became the seat of the parish and the commune and received a new church in the village, the old church was abandoned; it was in ruins by the mid-19th century. Its bell, blessed in 1467, has been kept in the church of Saint-Laurent in Callac. The remains have been registered as a historic monument since 1927 and belong to the commune; InfoBretagne describes them as listed, but the Mérimée record does indeed show a registration.

Inventaire général — Église paroissiale Notre-Dame, Botmel (POP) ↗

Getting there : In the hamlet of Botmel, away from the village of Callac. The remains can be seen from the public road and the site is said to be freely accessible (to be checked). The Inventaire describes them as in poor condition: caution is advised nearby.

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

Ambient sound