©Hike to the Chapelle Saint-Evy - Saint-Jean-Trolimon |J. Jehanin

Chapels and churches

Calvaries, chapels and churches bear witness to an era of faith. Today, it’s easy to push open the door of one of these buildings to admire the statuary, contemplate the stained-glass windows and soak up the serene atmosphere so typical of places of worship.

Faith and the sea

©Chapel of La Joie - Penmarc'h |T.Poriel

It should not be forgotten that before becoming Christian, Brittany was long under the influence of Celtic and pagan cults. But you only have to count the calvaries and the countless chapels that line the roads to see that Christianity has, in the end, left a profound mark on the landscape.

Our religious buildings have a number of local characteristics: the saints and protective figures venerated here often relate to the maritime world, and the model ships used as votive offerings are a reminder that here, the sea was a source of hope and fear for the people of the time.

Opposite, the chapel of Notre-Dame de la Joie, in Penmarc’h. Its name is a token of gratitude to the Virgin who protected the shipwrecked survivors. A wall protects it from the onslaught of the ocean, but it has to be rebuilt every 30 years.

Chapels and churches

Bell towers without a cap

The steeples of some of the churches and chapels in the Bigouden region have no spire, a curiosity that dates back to the Red Beret revolt in 1675, when six of these buildings were decapitated on the orders of the Duc de Chaulnes, the governor of Brittany.

The churches of Lambour and Saint-Philibert (also known as Lanvern) and the chapel of Languivoa are the three buildings whose spires have not been rebuilt.

Of the six buildings whose spires were destroyed, three remain as they were and two have been restored.

This is the case of thechurch of Saint-Tugdual in Combrit, cradle of the revolt in the Bigouden region, where the church, which lost its brand new steeple, was rebuilt a century after the revolt.

Lachapellede Saint-Honoré, in Plogastel-Saint-Germain, is a beautiful ruin lost in the greenery. In the aftermath of the events, the local people offered it a new coronation, but discreetly, without the agreement of the King of France.

Finally, there was also the bell tower at Tréguennec, where the original church can no longer bear witness to this episode of violence as it has since been destroyed.

©Lambour church - Pont-L'Abbé |A. Lamoureux

©Chapel of Notre Dame de Tronoen - Saint-Jean-Trolimon|T. Hourmand

Beautiful ruins

There are three ruined buildings:

Lambour in Pont-l’Abbé
Languidou in Plovan
Saint-Honoré in Plogastel Saint-Germain.

The charm of the old stonework is particularly striking here, with the vegetation discreetly seeping through the forgotten soil. The absence of a roof lets the light play with the arcanes.

The fountains

They were believed to have sacred or healing properties, and fountains were often found in churches and small chapels, or in isolated places along the way.

The injured, the blind and the unlucky would flock to the miraculous waters in the hope of a better day. Each fountain was reputed to cure a specific ailment.

As for the wash-houses, they must be dissociated from this religious heritage, as they are devoid of any magic other than that of uniting the community of women around the same mission: to look after the laundry of the whole household. The only power of the water in the laundries is to remove stains, so we’re talking about “vernacular heritage” linked to the customs of the time.

Fountains and wash-houses

©Visit to the Chapelle de la Madeleine - Penmarc'h |A. Lamoureux

Serge Duigou Historian

Serge Duigou is a historian. Born in Pont-l’Abbé, he is passionate about the key events in the Bigouden region, such as the Red Bonnet revolt.

He often gives talks open to the public on various themes.