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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Saint-Guen chapel, located at Saint-Guen in the commune of Saint-Tugdual (Morbihan), was built around 1540 under the impulse of local lords: the families of Kerminisy, Kersallic and Restergant. Its architecture, in the shape of a Latin cross close to the Greek tau, is distinguished by a square bellet accessible via an external staircase, as well as a ossuary backed by the southern facade, decorated with balusters and stylized animal sculptures. An inscription on the building attests to its dedication on August 8, 1540 ("THE VIII DAY OF AOUTH LAN MIL VC KA(RA)NTE FUT DEDIE CESTE CAPLE CEANS").

Ranked a historic monument since 5 July 1927 with its ossuary, the chapel suffered arson on the night of 29-30 January 2006, perpetrated by a couple linked to satanic rites, while its restoration was coming to an end. Thanks to financial mobilization (donations), its reconstruction was immediately undertaken. In September 2008, during the pardon marking the end of the work, new stained glass windows were inaugurated. The photographs of Philippe Tassier, taken around 1911, bear witness to the old tradition of forgiveness, a religious and community event still celebrated today.

The building is characterized by remarkable sculptural decoration, especially on the gables of the nave and transept, featuring fantastic animals (quadruped, marine monster) and pinacles. The windows, with original hinges, and the openwork bell tower illustrate the architectural style of Breton from the 16th century. The sacristy, added in the 19th century, completes this complex whose property belongs to the commune. The ossuary, built in the 2nd half of the 16th century, presents a facade in basket cove, emphasized by piles with volute capitals.

The Saint-Guen Chapel embodies both a religious heritage, a community memory (via forgiveness) and a symbol of resilience to destruction. Its history also reflects the tensions between preserving the ancient building and acts of vandalism, as well as the local attachment to a place of worship marked by six centuries of history.

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