Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Gunthiern Chapel, located at Locoyarn in the town of Hennebont (Morbihan), is a Romanesque building with the oldest parts dating from the 9th and 10th centuries. It was profoundly redesigned in the 17th century, as evidenced by the date of 1652 engraved on the south wall of the bedside. Originally, it was associated with a 12th century castle, still owned by the same family since the 18th century (Roger, Decq, Hillion, Jaffré). The discovery of a Lower Empire currency in an inner burial attests to an ancient occupation of the site.

The chapel, classified as a historical monument in 1993, consists of a nave flanked by low-sides and a choir with a flat bedside, without transept. Its Romanesque architecture is characterized by curved windows, flat buttresses, and a double-rolled diaphragm arch. The capitals and pseudo-chapitals, carved with geometric motifs (losanges, interlaces) and stylized animals (dragon, ram), reveal a regional artistic influence. Two Romanesque graffiti, including a crucifixion, are visible on a pillar.

Threatened by ruin in the 1950s, the chapel was saved by a roof restoration in 1975, initiated by its owners. Despite this work, the building would require further repair. Its similarities with the church of Saint-Gilles d'Hennebont, especially in the materials (pink granite, yellow sandstone) and the shape of the windows, underline its anchoring in the Breton Romanesque heritage.

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