Foundation of the tower 1544 (≈ 1544)
Date worn on the south turret.
1573
Construction south arm
Construction south arm 1573 (≈ 1573)
Date engraved on the cross.
fin XVe siècle
Initial construction
Initial construction fin XVe siècle (≈ 1595)
Building erected in Cornouaillais style.
1695
Sacristy added
Sacristy added 1695 (≈ 1695)
Ornate with angelel heads.
1727
Construction north arm
Construction north arm 1727 (≈ 1727)
Date on building.
1775
Renovation south façade
Renovation south façade 1775 (≈ 1775)
Door treated style 15th century.
12 novembre 1914
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 12 novembre 1914 (≈ 1914)
Chapel, sacristy and calvary protected.
1976
Lightning on the bell tower
Lightning on the bell tower 1976 (≈ 1976)
Damage caused by a storm.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Chapel, sacristy and calvary of Saint-Thélau (Cd. ZC 43, 44): classification by decree of 12 November 1914
Key figures
Saint Théleau - Holy patron saint of the chapel
Represented on a deer.
Saint Alor (ou Éloi) - Inner statue
Maréchal-ferrant in legend.
Jean-Marie Abgrall - Local historian (1910)
Described architecture in detail.
Origin and history
The Saint-Théleau chapel, located in Plogonnec in Finistère, was built at the end of the 15th century in an architectural style typical of Cornwall. Its richly carved west portal and pyramidal tower tower date back to this period, while subsequent changes (notably in 1695 for the sacristy and 1775 for the southern facade) testify to its evolution throughout the centuries. Ranked a historic monument in 1914, it houses remarkable elements such as a bas-relief depicting Saint Théleau riding on a deer, inspired by his legend.
The chapel bears traces of several construction campaigns: the south arm of the transept is dated 1573, the sacristy of 1695, and the north arm of 1727. Its bell tower, struck by lightning in 1976, dominates a placister adorned with a calvary with mutilated statues. Inside, statues of local saints (Théleau, Méen, Alor assimilated to Eloi) and a bench of stone girding the transepts underline its central role in Breton devotion. The successive restorations (1775, 1856, 1975, 1977) preserved its hybrid character, mixing late Gothic and Baroque additions.
Jean-Marie Abgrall, in 1910, described the chapel as a jewel of the Cornouaille heritage, highlighting its west gate with claurus, its deconstructed turrets, and its altarpiece illustrating the legend of Saint Théleau. The saint, represented as a bishop mounted on a deer, symbolizes a miraculous episode linked to a fortified castle. The interior statues, such as that of Saint Alor (or Eloi) in Marshal-ferrant, reflect popular cults rooted in local trades and legends.
Property shared between the commune and private individuals, the chapel and its adjacent calvary (classified together in 1914) remain a place of pilgrimage and memory. Its architecture, marked by persistent Gothic influences until the 18th century, makes it a rare witness to stylistic continuity in Lower Britain. The engraved inscriptions (1544 for the tower, 1775 for the south gate) and the dates brought (1695, 1727) document this turbulent story, between devotion, lightning and restorations.
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