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Origin and history

The Calvary of the chapel of Lancerf is a monument located in Ploubazlanec, in the department of Côtes-d'Armor, Brittany. This calvary, probably erected in the 18th century, was originally installed in the cemetery surrounding the church. It was then moved to be placed at the top of the arch of the southern gate of the chapel, which itself would date from the sixteenth century, with major modifications in the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. The chapel, with a simple plan, includes a nave flanked by two small chapels forming transept and a south side porch.

Calvary is the only element of the chapel to have been preserved as a historical monument after the chapel itself was removed from inventory in 1938, with the exception of this ordeal. It was registered as historical monuments by order of 6 May 1927. The chapel would also have housed the remains of a son and grandson of Napoleon III, although this information remains anecdotal in relation to the architectural importance of the calvary.

Originally located in Plourivo, the calvary was integrated into the chapel of Lancerf after its displacement. The chapel, although modified several times, retains a modest character, typical of the Breton religious buildings of that time. Calvary, on the other hand, illustrates the local religious art of the eighteenth century, marked by sobriety and a memorial and spiritual function.

The protection of the calvary in 1927, and the partial withdrawal of the chapel from the inventory in 1938, reflect the heritage choices of the era, favouring the most representative or best preserved elements. Today, Calvary remains a testimony of the religious and funeral history of the region, while being an example of the reuse of a sacred object in a new architectural context.

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