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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Saint-Christophe Chapel, located in the Kerentrech district of Lorient, is one of the oldest buildings in the city, with the castle of Trefaven. Built in the 15th century (with an attested date of 1505), it was erected by the princes of Guéméné, lords of the nearby castle, in honor of Saint Christophe, patron of the water smugglers. Originally, it was probably an oratory transformed into a Gothic chapel, dominating a ford on the Scorff.

During the Revolution, the chapel became an independent parish (1791-1854), before becoming a simple chapel after the construction of Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle church. It houses an annual forgiveness for children every first Sunday in May, including a blessing from automobiles. Ranked a historic monument in 1934, it was restored in 1936 and 1956 after a fire caused by a bombardment during World War II.

From an architectural point of view, the chapel is distinguished by its nine-column Tuscan bell tower, its bell Marie-Perrine (1862), and three stained glass windows (1956) representing Saint Christophe and pilgrims, works by the master glassmaker Hubert de Sainte Marie. The granite bentier (classified in 1912) and the schist baptistery (from the chapel of the Compagnie des Indes) bear witness to its rich heritage. An ordeal (1935) adorns the entrance, offered by a local family.

The chapel, rectangular with a three-sided bedside, features a granite basket handle door and a wooden stand leading to the bell tower. Its history is linked to that of the lords of Trefaven and to the religious life of Lorient, marked by revolutionary transformations and modern restorations.

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