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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Jean-de-Trevoazan, located in the commune of Prat (Côtes-d'Armor), has its origins in the 13th century, attributed to the Templars of the Commanderie du Palacret (Saint-Laurent). After the dissolution of the order in 1312, she passed to the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem, who placed her under the protection of Saint John the Baptist, replacing her initial dedication to Notre-Dame. A master-glass at the coat of arms of the order was evidence of this transition. Templar remains, although disputed by some sources, would include architectural elements re-used in later reconstructions.

The current structure is mainly the result of 15th and 16th century construction projects. The choir and the west gable, dated between 1497 and 1500, were built by local craftsmen such as Jehan Jegou and Guillaume le Tacon, with a frame mounted by Pierre Le Dovill. The nave, originally without low-sides, was flanked by a north side low in the 17th century (1630), while the bell tower was climbed by Yves Lageat around 1680. The chapel, owned by the Le Chevoir family (attested by an armored funeral slab), then depended on the command of La Feuillé, perceiving tithes and customary rights.

The building collapsed shortly before World War I, leaving only the western facade, its bell tower, and side walls. Threatened by destruction, it was saved in 1926 by an inscription in the Historical Monuments, thanks to the intervention of Mr. Blanchet de Saint-Brieuc (original of Prat) and local volunteers. The restoration work, especially in the 1980s-1990s, enabled the chapel to be restored, under the impetus of the Association for the Restoration of Saint John of Prat. Its Latin cross plan, its vaulted southern porch, and its Gothic Bay bedside today reflect these phases of reconstruction.

The sources diverge on some points: a commemorative plaque at the entrance evokes a Templar foundation in the 13th century, while the Merimée base and architectural studies favor the 15th to 16th centuries for most of the building. Elements such as the southern ossuary, the reliquary, or the liturgical credences of the northern transept illustrate its funeral and religious use. After the Revolution, the abandoned chapel served as a cemetery before its contemporary renaissance. Its nearby Palacret mill recalled its link with medieval commanderies.

The iconography and archives reveal a chapel once equipped with a two-bedroom bell tower, a sacristy, and a closed cemetery. The coat of arms of Le Chevoir (a crescent topped by three macles) on a funerary slab attest to their patronage. The now disappeared stained glass windows once included hospital heraldic motifs. The bedside window, with late Gothic (late 15th), and the ogival arches of the southern transept are among the rare medieval elements preserved.

The work of the 1980s helped stabilize the structure and partially restore its original appearance, although some parts (such as the southern transept) remain missing. The chapel, now communal property, bears witness to the transitions between military orders, local religious practices, and the efforts to save a building marked by nearly eight centuries of history.

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