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Origin and history

The Notre-Dame de Quilinen Chapel, located in the eponymous village of Landrevarzec (Finistère), is a religious building built in two phases in the 15th century. Certified as a seigneurial building in 1495, it probably replaces an earlier chapel, as some re-use stones suggest. Its architecture combines a lambrissed nave, a vaulted stone choir (rare in Brittany) and a north side. The arms of the Dukes of Brittany and the family of Rohan, as well as those of the Kerguelen (presumed commanders), adorn the building, showing noble protections.

The monument is distinguished by its 16th century calvary, erected on a triangular base forming a star of David and housing 47 statues, including a Pietà and apostles. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1990 with the chapel, calvary and nearby fountain, the ensemble underwent major restorations between 2013 and 2018, revealing 16th century murals (like a Fortune Wheel) and 17th century decorations. The chapel, an ancient trevial church, was surrounded by a cemetery renovated in 1785, and its bell tower, originally central, was moved in 1868 by architect Joseph Bigot.

The etymology of the place remains debated: a local legend attributed to a dog ("Ki ar linen", "dog of the line"), while Bernard Tanguy sees there a deformation of Celynin, saint Welsh honored in Brittany. The murals, rediscovered during restorations, include religious scenes and symbolic motifs. The furniture includes statues of Breton saints (Guénole, Yves, Roch) and a beam of glory. The main window, installed in 2017, represents Notre-Dame de Quilinen, patron of the premises.

The chapel benefited from the protection of the Dukes of Brittany and the family of Rohan, as evidenced by the macles (heraldic symbols) and the badges hammered on the fountain and calvary. The damage caused by the 1987 storm accelerated the restoration campaigns, also allowing the development of the panel of the north side and the four-parted vaults of the choir. Today, it opens up to the public with guided tours, highlighting its historical role as a place of devotion and seigneurial power.

The calvary, described as a "tree of Jesse" by Charles Le Goffic, is singularized by its ascental structure and its traces of original polychromy. The fountain of devotion, associated with Marian cults, completes this Breton religious ensemble, typical of medieval treves. Recent work also confirmed the hypothesis of a two-stage construction: the nave before 1449, then the choir and the transept under the episcopate of Jean de Lespervez (1451–172).

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