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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The chapel of Locmaria, located at the same place in the municipality of Melrand (Morbihan), is a religious building built in the 16th century. It adopts a Latin cross shape, with a south transept adorned with a solemn portal with double doors in basket handle, topped by a speckled tympanum. This gate, framed by foothills and crowned with a false gable, is considered one of the most beautiful facades of Morbihan, mixing plant motifs and animal sculptures. The chapel, built of granite, also houses original stained glass windows and an octagonal bell tower with bell towers.

The fountain of devotion, classified in 1928, is about 100 meters northeast of the chapel. Sheltered by a granite edicle decorated with flamboyant decorations (crochets, florets), it bears the date of 1574 on its facade. The source, framed by a niche under a gable, sprang out in the center of a walled enclosure, supplemented by a washer below. Although the original statuettes have disappeared, the fountain illustrates the importance of pilgrimage sites in Brittany during the Renaissance.

Ranked a historical monument in 1945 for the chapel and in 1928 for its fountain, the latter is a rare testimony of Breton religious art of the sixteenth century. The protected elements also include enclosures and wash, reflecting a spatial organization typical of the rural sanctuaries of the time. The chapel, a property shared between the municipality and a private one, retains major architectural features, such as its wooden vault and its broken bays.

The site, located at approximately 5126 Locmaria, 56310 Melrand, enjoys a geographical accuracy considered fair (note 5/10). Its current condition and conditions of visit (opening, renting) are not specified in available sources. The photographs of the monument, such as that of GO69 under Creative Commons license, highlight its flamboyant style and its integration into the Morbihan landscape.

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