Ancienne église Saint-Méen de Cancale, Listed historical monument in central Cancale, France
The Ancienne église Saint-Méen de Cancale is a church building with a neoclassical facade and bell tower porch located in central Cancale. The interior has three vessels with additional side aisles added in 1838, and the flat chevet is topped by an octagonal campanile.
Engineer Jean-Siméon Garengeau built this structure between 1714 and 1727, replacing a religious site documented since 1302. The west facade with the bell tower and the first two 18th-century bays received historical monument status in 1982.
The choir was redesigned in 1842 following Alfred-Louis Frangeul's plans, reflecting how the space was adapted for worship. The modifications visible today show how the interior was reshaped to meet changing religious needs.
The building is located on Impasse Saint-Méen and now houses the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions of Cancale. Access is straightforward from the town center by walking through the central streets to find the narrow lane.
The building was originally designed by an engineer rather than an architect, which was unusual for a church project in that period. This technical background may explain the precise, functional quality of the neoclassical design.
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