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Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour chapel, located in Camaret-sur-Mer in Finistère, has its origins in a first construction dated 1183. However, the oldest part of the present building dates back to 1527, as evidenced by an inscription on the west gable. This place of worship derives its name from the rocky base on which it is built, Roc的h has my dour ("rock in the middle of the waters" in Breton), and not from a link with the pilgrimage of Rocamadour to Quercy, contrary to a widespread belief. The chapel, rebuilt and enlarged between 1610 and 1683, underwent several restorations by local rectors such as D. Myttern, Torrec, Kéraudren and D. Palud.

The bellton, beheaded in 1694 during the Battle of Trez-Rouz by an Anglo-Holland ball, was rebuilt in 1685 by partially reusing the original materials. A devastating fire in 1910 destroyed the roof and furniture of the sixteenth century, including beams carved from dragonheads and painted wooden statues. The chapel was restored in 1911 thanks to the mobilization of parishioners and donations, with a frame in the shape of a spilled hull, laminated and painted in blue, made by the carpenter of marine François Keraudren.

The maritime vocation of the chapel is marked by its role as a stage for pilgrims coming from the sea and its traditions, as the annual blessing of the sea during forgiveness, celebrated on the first Sunday of September. Inside, ex-voto sailors, including ship models and buoys, testify to its link with fishing communities. Despite the destruction, the weapons of the Lords of Crozon, spared during the Revolution, remain visible under the bell, recalling the feudal history of the site.

The chapel, which has been listed as a historic monument since 1935, also holds a copy of a painting by Charles Cottet depicting his 1910 fire, while the original is exhibited in the town hall. Its architecture, combining Gothic and Renaissance styles, and its spectacular location on the Sillon make it a symbol of Breton heritage, both religious and maritime.

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