Église Saint-Léonard de Fougères, Gothic church in Haute Ville district, Fougères, France.
Église Saint-Léonard de Fougères is a Gothic church featuring a 6-meter diameter rose window on its main facade and decorated with stone gargoyles running along its walls. The structure showcases typical Gothic proportions with pointed details and decorative elements throughout its exterior.
The church was originally founded in the 12th century by Pontlevoy monks and underwent major reconstructions between 1407 and 1636. These extended building campaigns shaped the Gothic form we see today.
The oldest glass here is a 12th-century window from the Abbey of Saint-Denis, kept with 16th-century fragments in the chapels flanking the main facade; both were classified on 10 December 1906. Most other windows date from 1959, when Chartres glassmaker François Lorin replaced those blown out by the 1944 bombing, depicting Breton saints such as Yves and Aubert.
The church stands in the upper town, next to the town hall and the public garden, with the impasse Saint-Léonard separating it from the former chamber of commerce building. Mass is held on Sundays at 11:00. The sources describe no access to the bell tower, so the interior is what visitors can see.
The oldest stained glass in Brittany is kept here: a 12th-century window from the Abbey of Saint-Denis, displayed in the chapels flanking the main facade. It was classified as a historic object on 10 December 1906, alongside fragments of the church's own 16th-century glazing.
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