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Saint-Nicolas-de-Brem

Vendée (85) · commune of Brem-sur-Mer

Saint-Nicolas-de-Brem

EGLISE SAINT-NICOLAS

The church, built in the 11th century, had three naves. The apse of the central nave and the west door date from that period. The lateral naves added in the 12th century and practically destroyed by the Protestants of the duke of Soubise in the 17th century, are still recognizable - particularly the north one - although some of the stones were used to rebuild the walls of the central nave

The west façade and its door surmounted by a remarkable pediment
The west façade and its door surmounted by a remarkable pediment
Right: the ruins of the north lateral nave
Right: the ruins of the north lateral nave
The 11th-century west door
The 11th-century west door
Saint-Nicolas-de-Brem

Archaic pediment - it might have been reused from an earlier edifice - with, at the centre, a saint, who has been identified as St. Nicholas trampling on a dragon,. The statue is surrounded by metopes carved in bas-relief. They represent fantastic animals and human figures which remain somewhat mysterious

St. Nicholas (close-up). It was originally a bas-relief later recarved into a high-relief
St. Nicholas (close-up). It was originally a bas-relief later recarved into a high-relief
Right: one of the metopes represnting a woman holding her plaits / braids
Right: one of the metopes represnting a woman holding her plaits / braids
Another metope
Another metope
Plan of the church - in black, the parts that date from the 11th and 12th centuries
Plan of the church - in black, the parts that date from the 11th and 12th centuries
A droite: nef, choeur et abside - Right: nave, chancel and apse
A droite: nef, choeur et abside - Right: nave, chancel and apse
Retable and statue of St. Nicholas
Retable and statue of St. Nicholas
East-west view of the nave
East-west view of the nave

Legend has it that one of the floor tiles of the central nave had a magical power: any young man or girl who stepped on the tile would get married before the end of the year. However, no one knew which tile was magical!

THE WALL PAINTINGS

They date back to the 12th century and have been discovered under the whitewash of the semidomed apse
They date back to the 12th century and have been discovered under the whitewash of the semidomed apse
Saint-Nicolas-de-Brem
Saint-Nicolas-de-Brem

These paintings date from the 12th century and represent the Holy Women at the Tomb, carrying spices

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Location and nearby churches

  1. Les Magnils-Reigniers 48 km
  2. Mesnard-la-Barotière 60 km
  3. Pouzauges 77 km
  4. Le Loroux-Bottereau 78 km
  5. Pommeraie 81 km
  6. Chemillé 107 km

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