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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The chapel of Saint-Jacques de Saint-Léon, located in Merléac, Brittany, is a religious building built in the 14th century by Marguerite de Rohan and Olivier de Clisson, then enriched in the 15th century with stained glass, murals, panelling and granite altar. A wooden chair was added in the 16th century. Ranked as a Historic Monument in 1908, it is distinguished by its three-vessel plan, its western porch with double doors, and its heraldic decoration combining the Rohan and Breton hermines.

The murals and painted panelling, dating from the early fifteenth century, illustrate biblical scenes such as Adam and Eve driven from Paradise or the Creation of Animals. The glass mistress (1402) is a masterpiece of the flamboyant style, with its flask lancettes and trilobes. The coat of arms of the Rohan and Navarre, visible on the arcades and stained glass windows, suggest a connection with John I of Rohan and his wife Jeanne of Navarre, daughter of Philip III of Navarre.

The building, built on a steep site overlooking an ancient path, has an exceptionally adorned northern facade, contrary to Breton usage. Its bell tower, placed on the first span of the southern collateral, recalls the provisions of the Church of Saint James of Perros-Guirec. The bases of the batteries, typical of the late 14th century, and the smooth capitals evoke the architectural school of Guingamp. Major restorations took place in 1864 (carpent, panelling, stained glass) and between 2012-2016, revealing hidden painted decorations.

The chapel was for a long time wrongly attributed to Jean Validire (bishop of Saint-Pol-de-Léon and then of Vannes in the 15th century), because of confusion with the neighbouring village of Saint-Léon. The archives are missing to confirm its foundation, but its heraldic decor and its location in the seigneury of Corlay (Vicomté de Rohan) confirm its link with this powerful family. The paintings, studied at a symposium in 2017, combine biblical accounts with political symbols.

The site, classified in 1908, belongs to the commune of Merléac. Its rectangular plan (20.33 m x 12.35 m) and flat bedside inspired other Breton chapels, such as Kermaria-an-Iskuit in Plouha. The stained glass windows, restored by Yves Hernot in 1865, and the dogive vaults of the west porch testify to a complex realization, mixing the influences of the Trégor, the Penthièvre and the Pont-Croix school.

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