Catholic Church and religious monument : the Diocese of Nantes during the Concordat (1802- 1905) ; L'Église et le monument religieux : le diocèse de Nantes pendant la période concordataire (1802-1905)

Abstract

The French Concordat, which brings back civil peace and restores the exercise of worship, is welcomed by the diocese of Nantes after the Revolution decade. A new regime is established for the Catholic religion, which is protected and financed by the State but also placed under control of civil authorities. The churches and the liturgical objects nationalized in 1789 are left at the disposal of the clergy and the believers but remain in the public domain. With this exclusive use for worship, the Catholic Church is given a preponderant role, in which the needs of religion prevailing over the property right and the archaeological considerations born in the 19th century. The Concordat system creates the conditions of an entiretransformation, particularly impressive in the diocese of Nantes: the religious buildings are enlarged, modified or replaced to satisfy religious needs without taking into account archaeological conservation. Nevertheless, the Church seems to provide support to the public policies and to private initiatives for the recognition of religious monuments. However, the ecclesiastical contribution remains superficial and reveals motives inconsistent with archaeological concerns. The infatuation for an idealized past does not produce the conservation of material remains but on the contrary the birth of a new religious art, adapted to the contemporary needs of the exercise of worship and to the symbolic constructions specific to the 19th century Church ; Le Concordat, qui permet le retour à la paix civile et le rétablissement du culte, est accueilli avec soulagement dans un diocèse de Nantes durement éprouvé par la décennie révolutionnaire. Il instaure un régime neuf dans lequel la religion catholique, de même que les autres cultes reconnus, est protégée et financée par l'État mais également placée sous la surveillance du pouvoir civil. Les édifices et les objets religieux nationalisés en 1789 sont mis à la disposition du clergé et des fidèles mais demeurent des propriétés publiques. L'affectation ...