Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All France Lanleff Temple de Lanleff
AO Edited

Temple de Lanleff

The precise origins of this pink sandstone temple are unknown.

Lanleff, France

Added By
tomak
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  Hugues Mitton/CC BY-SA 3.0
  Hugues Mitton/CC BY-SA 3.0
  Hugues Mitton/CC BY-SA 3.0
  Mike Finn/CC BY 2.0
  Mike Finn/CC BY 2.0
  Mike Finn/CC BY 2.0
  COMMUNE DE LANLEFF/CC BY-SA 4.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Lanleff's temple is a pink sandstone ruin located in Lanleff, Brittany. It is a round church, reminiscent of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

The exact age of this building is unknown. The earliest known references to the building is from 1148 when the Lord of Châtelaudrien donated it to the Benedictine monastery of Saint Magloire de Léhon. Though scholars have debated the exact origins, it likely dates back to the early 11th century.

Only a few parts of the church remain standing today: two out of three chapels and parts of the exterior wall. The structure was built in a primitive Romanesque style. It consists of two concentric walls separated by a corridor. A series of arches are supported by 12 ornamented pillars.

One of the most interesting features of the temple at Lanleff is its art. More than 140 decorative elements can be seen in the ornamentation of the capitals and the bases of the columns. These include geometric motifs, animals, and people. One of the better known pieces at the temple is known as "modest Adam."

 

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Related Tags

Temples Ruins Medieval Churches Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

Downtown Lanleff, it can be visited freely.

Community Contributors

Added By

tomak

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

March 18, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanleff#Temple_de_Lanleff
  • https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanleff
  • https://www.guingamp-paimpol.com/en/welcome-to-guingamp-baie-de-paimpol/relaxing-on-land/heritage-sites/temple-de-lanleff-147033
Temple de Lanleff
Le Bourg
Lanleff, 22290
France
48.694987, -3.045858
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Dance of Death at Chapelle Kermaria an Iskuit

Plouha, France

miles away

La Vapeur du Trieux (The Steam Trieux)

Paimpol, France

miles away

Ossuary at the Church of St. Gregory

Lanrivain, France

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of France

France

Europe

Places 739
Stories 74

Nearby Places

Dance of Death at Chapelle Kermaria an Iskuit

Plouha, France

miles away

La Vapeur du Trieux (The Steam Trieux)

Paimpol, France

miles away

Ossuary at the Church of St. Gregory

Lanrivain, France

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of France

France

Europe

Places 739
Stories 74

Related Places

  • The entrance and façade of the church

    Torri in Sabina, Italy

    Santa Maria della Lode in Vescovio

    This beautiful Romanesque church preserves stunning medieval frescoes and the excavations of a Roman market town.

  • The Telestrion and the Church of Panagia Mesosporitissa

    Elefsina, Greece

    Church of Panagia Mesosporitissa

    Only open for two days a year, this church links ancient Greek and modern Christian celebrations.

  • Inside the chapel.

    Oxfordshire, England

    Godstow Abbey Ruins

    These ancient ruins were the final resting place of King Henry II's mistress.

  • Square holes.

    Haddington, Scotland

    St Martin’s Kirk

    These ruins of a medieval church are full of architectural mysteries.

  • Ruins of the priests’ living quarters.

    Seton Mains, Scotland

    Seton Collegiate Church

    The ruins of a 15th-century church once home to priests who prayed for a single family's salvation.

  • The doorway of the old church of San Isidro.

    Oviedo, Spain

    Portada de la Antigua Iglesia de San Isidoro (Arch of the Old Church of San Isidoro)

    The surviving remnants of a destroyed medieval church now stand in a public park.

  • Interior of the ruins with anchor memorial.

    Southampton, England

    Ruins of Holyrood Church

    Now a memorial to merchant sailors and Titanic victims, this medieval church was destroyed by bombing raids in 1940.

  • The Maiden Tower.

    Baku, Azerbaijan

    The Maiden Tower

    This mysterious but iconic tapered tower appears in many Azeri fairytales and legends.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.