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Origin and history

The Calvary of the Cross-de-Gohazé is located at the place called Gohazé, in the commune of Saint-Thuriau (Morbihan, Brittany). This monument, dated from the 16th century, is part of an ancient parish enclosure, characteristic of the Breton buildings of this period. It is composed of a monumental granite cross, with a square base enhanced by three steps and a barrel surmounted by a Christ on the front and a Virgin on the back. These sculptures are sheltered under a columned dais, typical of Breton religious art.

Calvary is associated with the Notre-Dame de Joie chapel of Gohazé, built between the 15th and 16th centuries. This chapel, from a plan to a Latin cross, features a square bell tower with a dardian arrow, as well as a richly decorated south façade, reserved for parishioners. The parish enclosure, now partially preserved, originally consisted of a wall, a scale, an ossuary (now extinct) and a cemetery. These elements reflected the economic prosperity of the region, linked to the 16th and 17th century textile industry, which allowed the beautification of religious buildings.

The Calvary of the Cross of Gohazé was inscribed as historical monuments on 8 May 1933. It bears witness to the importance of parish enclosures in Brittany, designed to protect burials and symbolize the salvation of the soul. The neighbouring chapel, with its 1610 frame and partially original stained glass windows, illustrates the transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance into Breton religious architecture. Some elements, such as the Rohan coat of arms on a stained glass window, recall the links between the monument and the local noble families.

Today, the parish enclosure of Gohazé has lost several of its components (ossuary, sacristy), but retains its calvary altar and its original wall. The chapel, restored in the 19th and 20th centuries without altering its historical character, remains a remarkable example of Breton religious heritage. Its interior decoration, including a painted paneled vault and carved sandstones, as well as its flamboyant glass mistress, make it a place full of history and symbols.

The location of the Calvary, south of the chapel, and its integration into a landscape marked by parish history make it an emblematic monument of Saint-Thuriau. Its inscription in historical monuments underscores its heritage value, both architectural and historical, in the context of the Breton parish enclosures, now partially disappeared.

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