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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The chapel Saint-Gildas, located in Carnoët in the Côtes-d'Armor, is a religious building built mainly in the early sixteenth century, around 1500. It adopts a Latin cross plan, with a nave accompanied by a north side, a transept and a polygonal apse. Its openwork bell tower, surmounted by a stone arrow, seems to date back to the seventeenth century, although the arrow was rebuilt in 1757. Inside, a walled frame forms the vault, while a carved 16th century wooden fence, decorated with representations of the apostles and Christian scenes, separates the nave from the transept. He was carrying a cross Christ surrounded by the Virgin and St John.

The chapel is probably a seigneurial foundation linked to the nearby fortress of Tossen Sant-Veltas, suggesting that it served as a private chapel to the castle. Its architecture is attributed to Philippe de Beaumanoir's workshop, an active builder in Trégor at that time. The building, completed in a single countryside around 1500, illustrates the late flamboyant Gothic style, with details such as hooks and gargoyles adorning the crawling windows. An inscription on the bell tower, dated 1757, mentions Noël Marchou (rector) and Maurice Tanguy (manufacture), testifying to later work.

Ranked a historic monument on July 17, 1972, the chapel today belongs to the municipality of Carnoët. Its interior decoration, including the carved fence and paintings, makes it a remarkable example of Breton religious heritage. The proximity to the fortress and its seigneurial history also make it a witness to the links between noble power and religious buildings in the Renaissance. The bell tower arrow, rebuilt in the 18th century, marks a stylistic evolution towards the baroque, while preserving original Gothic elements.

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