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Origin and history

The chapel Sainte-Marie-du-Ménez-Hom, located in Plomodiern, Brittany, is a former Templar chapel whose sacristy bears the name of "Chambre des monks rouges", with reference to the Red Cross of the Templars. It served as a meeting place and gathering for these soldiers monks, and a legend evokes a hidden treasure between the chapel, the Calvary and the fountain. At the end of the Ancien Régime, it was the second most frequent pilgrimage in the bishopric of Cornwall, with 1,700 pounds of annual income from the offerings.

The building spans between 1570 (dated engraved on the west gable) and 1773, with major extensions in the 17th and 18th centuries. The chapel replaces a Romanesque building that has now disappeared. Its bell tower-porch, three storeys of superimposed balustrades (1668–73), is surmounted by a dome inspired by Roman architecture. The parish enclosure, accessible by a triumphal arch of 1739 decorated with a statue of Saint Hervé, includes a calvary of 1544 to three barrels, illustrating scenes of the Passion and local saints like Saint Yves.

The interior houses three baroque altarpieces classified in 1912, works by the masters Jean Le Séven (carpenter) and Jean Cévaër (carpenter). The central altarpiece, dedicated to the Holy Family, is framed by torso columns and statues (Vierge Marie, Saint Joseph, Saint Anne). The side retables celebrate the apostles (south) and Saint John the Baptist with Saint Laurent (north). Among the remarkable pieces are a Christ on the cross of the eighteenth century (classified in 1957), a statue of Saint Laurent in keranton (XV century), and carved sandstones, one of which evokes the legend of a plower punished for mocking the Holy Family.

The chapel has been listed as a Historic Monument since October 28, 1916, with its triumphal arch and calvary. Its location at the foot of Menez-Hom, 193 meters above sea level, makes it a landmark on the old national road D 887, historic axis towards the peninsula of Crozon. The nearby devotional fountain and the cross of Park ar Groaz Ru ("Red Cross Field") also recall the Templar presence. Fairs up to the 20th century explain the richness of its furniture and architecture.

The parish enclosures reveal traces of a pre-Christian past, such as slate shale slabs carved of cupulas, possibly re-used from a pagan temple. These stones, combined with the collection of sacred water, highlight the superposition of cults on this site. The chapel, called Ti ar Wercshez ("House of the Virgin") in Breton, also illustrates the importance of Marian pilgrimages in Brittany, mixing popular devotion and artistic heritage.

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