Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel of Locmaria, located in Belle-Isle-en-Terre in the Côtes-d'Armor, is an oratory built between the 15th and 16th centuries. Its irregular plan, marked by the subsequent addition of a low side, reveals architectural transformations. The exterior is distinguished by a turret, bell towers and gables, while the interior is home to a panelled frame and a wooden jube, supported by four columns decorated with pamps and clusters of grapes. This jube, executed in the late 15th or early 16th century, is stylistically related to that of Kerfons, attributed to the same artist.

According to tradition, this chapel would be linked to a monastery of Templar monks and was known as Notre-Dame de Pendreo (Notre-Dame de la Coqueluche). The faithful came to pray for the healing of children with this deadly disease before going to a nearby miraculous fountain. A window near the high altar illustrates this belief. The chapel, classified as a historic monument in 1928, suffered major damage in 1734 (replacement of gates) and in 1875 (destructing the bell tower by lightning), before a partial restoration in the 20th century, including the gift of stained glass by Sir Robert Mond in 1930.

The building, owned by the municipality, is now freely accessible. His jube, a master piece decorated with seven angels wearing banners, bears witness to Breton religious art of the Renaissance. The sculptures, of great finesse, reflect a Marian devotion rooted in local practices, where pilgrimages and vows occupied a central place. The chapel thus embodies both an artistic heritage and a collective memory linked to medieval and modern beliefs.

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