Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel of Saint-Jaoua de Plouvien, classified as a Historical Monument, seems to date mainly from the 15th century. It consists of a nave, two chapels forming transept and a flat bedside, all covered with arched arches. The entrances are decorated with monstrous figures, while the sandstones, carved, bear coats of arms. Inside, a granite tomb houses a girder representing Saint Jaoua, and the southern porch houses wooden statues of the Evangelists, surmounted by their animal symbols. The gate, surmounted by a hooked gable, and a small door in arms, testify to the flamboyant Gothic architecture.

The site also includes an ossuary backed by the west wall of the nave, as well as a sacristy and fountain added in the seventeenth century. The adjoining cemetery houses two calvaries, one dating from the 15th century, the other modern. The whole, including the old cemetery with its fence walls, trees, ossuary and calvaries, was classified by order of 8 November 1939. The chapel thus illustrates the architectural and religious evolution of Brittany between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

Decorative elements, such as the statues of the Evangelists or the coat of arms of the swords, suggest a place of worship marked by a local or seigneurial patronage. The presence of an ossuary and a fountain underscores the ritual and community importance of the site, typical of the Breton chapels of this period. The mix of styles, between flamboyant Gothic and classical additions, reflects the artistic and liturgical transformations that occurred between the 15th and 17th centuries.

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