Heritage furnishings The Basilica of Saint-Sauveur houses thirty-eight historic monuments, including paintings,
altarpieces, sculptures,
liturgical objects, and furnishings, all of which are listed or registered.
The high altar and its baldachin In 1718, the Saint-Sauveur Church in Dinan installed a
high altar that was created by architect (1647–1741), with assistance from (?-1737), the controller of the King's buildings. The plan underwent further revision by architect Jacques le Bonhomme from Saint-Malo prior to being entrusted to François Lamandé and Jean Lemonnier. The altar was relocated in 1744 to make way for a new gilded wooden
baldachin. François Lamandé and Thomas Maisonneuve collaborated on the design. Thomas Durocher and Pierre Morillon added two angels and completed the gilding in 1756. The ensemble was restored in 2007 and was designated a historic monument by decree on September 24, 1956.
The altarpieces The church has multiple altarpieces, of which eleven are protected as historical monuments, with two being listed. It depicts the (
Martyrdom of Saint Barbara in English) and was produced in the 18th century. The oldest listed altarpiece is located at the north-east pier of the transept crossing and is dedicated to Saint Barbara. The other listed altarpiece, dedicated to Saint Eligius, leans against the southwest transept pier. It depicts (
Saint Eligius as a bishop in English), portrayed by painter and teacher Loyer from Rennes in 1817. Both the painting and the artist were decreed as historical monuments on July 12, 1985. Additionally, there are nine altarpieces designated as historical monuments: the
Rosary altarpiece, created in 1811; the Saint Mathurinus altarpiece, situated in one of the north aisle chapels and dated 1817; the Holy Angels altarpiece, also from 1817 and located in one of the north ambulatory chapels; and the St.
John the Baptist altarpiece dated 1817, is located in a north chapel of the ambulatory. The altarpiece of the
Savior, either dated 1817 or the 18th century, is also located in a north chapel of the ambulatory. The altarpiece of
Saint Francis, which has the same dating ambiguity as the previous work, is situated in the chapel dedicated to that saint, who also dedicated the altar in the ambulatory. The altarpiece of the
Holy Spirit is situated in one of the ambulatory's southern chapels, and its dating is as uncertain as the previous two. Additionally, there is an 1811-dated altarpiece in the south transept. All three altarpieces were registered as historical monuments on January 17, 1977, except for the Rosary altarpiece, which was listed on July 4 of the same year.
The lecterns Two
lecterns, one shaped like an eagle and the other a pelican, made of carved wood in the 18th century, are featured objects. The first one can be found in the north transept, where it underwent restoration alongside the high altar and baldachin in 2007. It was officially classified as a historic monument on November 5, 1912. The second one is situated in the choir and has been listed since January 30, 1975.
The relief of Notre-Dame des Vertus and the relief of Saint Eustache The church houses two bas-reliefs that are listed as historic monuments. One of these, made of carved wood, portrays the Assumption of the Virgin surrounded by angels. It received its designation as a historic monument on December 24, 1912. This 15th-century object is known as Notre-Dame des Vertus and originates from the Cordeliers convent in the city. The convent, named Notre-Dame des Vertus, was likely named after a statue of the Virgin Mary that founder brought back from a pilgrimage to Assisi in the mid-13th century. The statue was given to him by
Saint Bonaventure, but unfortunately, it was lost. As a result, devotions were transferred to a later relief. The church houses a stone bas-relief from the late 15th or early 16th century, portraying
Saint Eustace with his children, one taken by a wolf and the other by a lion. The sculpture gained recognition as a historic monument on January 30, 1975.
The stoup The carved stone
baptismal font in the church dates back to its original construction during the 11th century. The font is composed of a round bowl placed on a rectangular base and decorated with four figures. It was classified as a historic monument, along with the church, in the 1862 list due to its purpose as a building.
The paintings Two oil-on-canvas paintings in the building are protected as historic monuments. The first painting is a copy of
Raphael's work in the
Louvre, portraying
Saint Michael slaying the dragon. It was commissioned by the
Direction des Beaux-Arts and painted in 1847 by
Alfred Thompson Gobert (1822–1895). The painting was listed as a historic monument on November 17, 1982. The second painting, depicting (
Du Guesclin on his deathbed in English), was donated by the government of
King Louis-Philippe. Listed as a historic landmark since March 28, 1980, the structure is situated in the northern transept. Additionally, within the building is a reproduction of (
The Guardian angel in English) by
Simone Cantarini, which is based on a 19th-century engraving with an unknown origin.
The statues The building contains five historic monuments in the form of statues and statuettes. There is a seventeenth-century wooden statue of
St. Nicholas located in the north ambulatory chapel that is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Additionally, there is a sixteenth-century
alabaster statuette of the
Virgin and Child positioned at the top of the altarpiece located in the first north ambulatory chapel. Both of these artifacts have been listed as historic monuments, with the former being listed since January 30, 1975 and the latter since November 5, 1912. Three additional statues have been listed as historic monuments. These include a wooden statue of Saint Fiacre from the 19th century, a wooden statue of
Saint Gilles from the 18th century, both listed since November 17, 1982, as well as a silver statue of the Virgin and Child crafted by Renaud between 1838 and 1847, listed since January 17, 1977.
Bertrand du Guesclin's sarcophagus and the recumbent figures The church contains the tomb of
Bertrand du Guesclin's heart. Positioned in the right transept, it comprises a 14th-century engraved plaque encircled by a larger tomb constructed in the 18th century. The entire structure is fashioned from gilded
granite. Regarded as a , it is registered as a historical monument in the
1862 list coupled with the church. Adjacent to it lies a container housing the remains of
Tiphaine Raguenel, the first wife of Du Guesclin. The remains of the French Constable and his spouse were transferred to the basilica in 1810. They are accompanied by three recumbent statues: those of , Guillaume de Lesquen, and Berthelot d'Angoulevent. Initially, the recumbent figures were located in the Coëtquen tower of the
Château de Dinan along with four others. They were relocated due to poor preservation conditions, specifically the climate, and a scenography project highlighting the military function of the Coëtquen tower, which was used for
artillery. The Saint-Malo church was the new home for the other four recumbent figures.
The organ On February 3, 1839, the organ builder
Aristide Cavaillé-Coll delivered his sixth instrument to the parish of Saint-Sauveur in Dinan. At the time, it had 28 stops on three manuals and a pedal: twelve stops on the
Great Organ, eight on the
Positive, four on the
Swell and four on the
Pedal. The instrument is located on the back of the west façade, supported by a heavy classical gallery built in 1836–1837. Four columns with
Corinthian capitals support this construction, whose angles are rounded. The one-piece buffet features neoclassical architecture softened by Renaissance ornamentation. With five flat sides and crowned with scrolls, it blocks the west window. The instrumental part is very similar to the organs in the churches of and . The simultaneous management of these three projects enabled the organ builder to reduce production costs and to deliver instruments that, although practically mass-produced, were of a high standard in terms of pre-romantic aesthetics. In 1903, the instrument underwent its first transformation. enlarged it, leaving only twelve original registers. Again, in 1966,
Gonzalez-Danion modified the instrument. He removed the case and placed the pipes on either side of the large west window. Only seven Cavaillé-Coll stops remained.
Organists • Father Joseph Foutel, also an organist (in parallel with his classical studies at the Sorbonne, he attended the César Franck school, and was taught by Philippe de Brémond d'Ars, • Isabelle Fontaine.
The bells The basilica currently has three bells, located on the lower level of the bell tower, in the stone section. Before the French Revolution, the basilica had four bells, but they were sold. The current bells were installed successively in 1832, 1868 and 1873, the 1873 bell being replaced in 1961. Their characteristics are the following: • The Bourdon,
Élisabeth, rings in A2 (high) and weighs about 2,516 kg. Its diameter at the clamp is 1,620 mm. It was cast in 1868 at Viel-Tétrel in Villedieu-les-Poêles. It was donated by Mademoiselle Marie-Josephine Habrington and sponsored by Henri-Pierre Flaud, mayor of Dinan from 1861 to 1874. • The second bell, without a christening name, is in C#3 (high) and weighs about 1,250 kg. Its diameter at the clamp is 1,285 mm. Cast in 1832 by Viel-Tétrel, Marquet-Viel and Viel-Ozenne frères of Villedieu-les-Poêles, its godmother is Mademoiselle Célestine Bazin and its godfather is Monsieur Paul Paterne de Saint Pern de Couëllan, son of Joseph, mayor of Dinan from 1830 to 1835. == References ==