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Origin and history

The Calvary altar of Kergoal, located in Plouescat in Finistère, is a religious monument erected in the 3rd quarter of the 17th century, more precisely in 1667, as attests the inscription engraved on its barrel: "O CRVX AVE 1667". This granite calvary consists of a Latin cross on a cubic base of three degrees, with an octagonal drum and a table of offerings to the west. The round-bosse sculptures represent on one side the cross Christ framed by the Virgin and St John, and on the other side the Education of the Virgin with St Anne, St Barbe and St James the Major. A merchant mark accompanied by the initials "IAM" (for James and Anne Marchic) appears under Christ, confirming their role in his command.

The main inscription reveals that Jacques Marchic and Anne Le Roux financed his construction in 1667, while a second inscription indicates a restoration in 1927 by Pierre Trementin and Jeanne Daveau, his wife. At the time of this restoration, Trementin placed statues of St John and St James, which he claimed to have come from the origin of this calvary but which were then on Kerzean's. The monument, classified as Historic Monument in 1972, illustrates Breton religious art of the modern era, mixing Christian symbols and local patronage.

The decoration also includes a shield armaged at the foot of Christ, as well as volutes at the corners of the base, characteristic of the Breton Calvary of the seventeenth century. The table of offering bears invocations to Saint Anne and Saint Barba, emphasizing the Marian devotion and to the patron saint typical of the region. The keranton stone, used for the console supporting the cross, and the local granite bear witness to the traditional materials used by the artisans of the time.

Owned by the town of Plouescat, the Kergoal Calvary altar stands today at the approximate address "1989 R Kergoal Bihan", in a state whose location is considered "passable"* (note 5/10). Its iconography and inscriptions bear witness to the religious and artistic practices of the Ancien Régime Brittany, as well as subsequent restorations aimed at preserving this heritage.

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