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Origin and history

The chapel Saint-Yves de Priziac, located in Morbihan in Brittany, was built at the place called Saint-Yves in the late 19th century. Its construction began in 1881 to replace an older chapel, also dedicated to Saint Yves, which once belonged to the Kergoat mansion. This new neo-Gothic building is inspired by the architectural forms of the 15th and 16th centuries, while adopting a remarkable height and more austere lines, characteristic of the 19th century. The interior and exterior sculptures were made by the Lebrun workshop in Lorient, a major actor in Breton religious art of the time.

The chapel is distinguished by its structure on a Latin cross, with a flat bedside and small transepts. Its portal, in broken arch (or third-point), is surmounted by a circular window, while the inside houses a stand decorated with a frieze symbolizing the seven capital sins. The wooden cradle vaults, with broken arches, and the warheads of the transept square underline the Gothic influence. The bell tower, particularly slender, has two floors of openings and finely worked messes. These elements reflect both a tribute to medieval traditions and a modern interpretation of sacred architecture.

The Saint-Yves Chapel has been listed as one of the historical monuments since 29 October 1975 and bears witness to the importance of religious heritage in Brittany at the end of the 19th century. Sponsored by C.A.S. Harrington, its realization was entrusted to the Lebrun workshop, whose expertise marked several buildings in the region. Today owned by the municipality of Priziac, it embodies the continuity of a local cult dedicated to Saint Yves, patron of lawyers and Bretons, while offering a remarkable example of the neo-Gothic art of Breton.

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