Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lantierne, located at the so-called Lantiern in Arzal (Morbihan), is a religious building dating back to the 12th century. It was originally built in Romanesque times and belonged to the Templars as early as 1182, as evidenced by a charter by the Duke of Brittany. After the dissolution of the Order in 1312, it passed to the Hospitallers, then was annexed in the 16th century to the hospital of Malansac, dependent on the commandory of Carentoir. The chapel housed a fragment of the True Cross, an object of pilgrimages and processions, until its disappearance during the Revolution.

The chapel presents an irregular plane in T, with a nave flanked by a north side and an asymmetric transept. Its architecture combines Romanesque elements (arcades in the middle of the wall, impostes) and posterior additions, such as the flamboyant bays or the steeple topped by a frame arrow. The 17th century marked a major phase of reshaping, visible in the niches of the choir, the broken arcades of the northern chapel (dated 1612), and the tower with the inscription "1629". Inside, seven altars probably dating from the thirteenth century and fragmentary murals recall its rich liturgical past.

Ranked a Historical Monument in 1964, the chapel retains remarkable furniture elements, such as a chrismatory ciborium and a 17th century procession cross, as well as an 18th century chalice. Its flat bedside, backed by foothills, and its west facade adorned with a broken arched gate and a trilobed window (14th century) illustrate the successive strata of its history. The site also includes a 14th century monolithic cross and a neolithic polisher re-used in foundations, showing its deep anchoring in the territory.

The history of the chapel is also linked to figures such as hospital commander Jean Pelletier (XVI century), Gilles du Buisson and Charles Laurencin (XVII century), who described it in detail in official statements. These texts evoke its seven altars, its relics (including the silver cross containing a fragment of the True Cross), and its central role in local religious life, including burials and annual processions led by the monks of the Abbey of Prayers. The indulgences granted by Pope Paul V in 1607 underline its spiritual importance before the Revolution.

Architectural transformations reflect liturgical and social changes: the 18th century wooden stand, replacing an older structure, and the reshaping of the lateral chapels (including the northern chapel, with a flamboyant bay) testify to a continuous adaptation. The contemporary stained glass windows of Michel Gigon contrast with the medieval elements, such as the bas-relief of a woman dressed in the lower Middle Ages adorning a pillar. These superpositions make the chapel an architectural palimpsest, where each time left its mark.

Despite the disappearance of its relics and some furniture, the chapel Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lantierne remains an exceptional testimony of Breton religious history, from Templars to Hospitallers, medieval pilgrimages and modern redevelopments. Its ranking and preservation now allow us to study nearly nine centuries of local history, mixing faith, power and crafts.

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