Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The fountain and calvary of Saint-Conval, located in the state forest of Cranou in Hanvec, are the only remains of a 15th century chapel destroyed during the Second World War. These granite monuments include a cross of road or calvary with a chamfered barrel, erected in 1627 according to the date worn on its base. The crusillon, now extinct, had already disappeared before the mid-20th century. An inscription on the drum mentions the author: R. DORE MY FAICT. The fountain, adorned with a statue of Saint-Gonval, and the calvary were associated with a chapel served at the time when the forest of Cranou was exploited for marine woods under Louis XIV.

The Cranou forest, under the reign of Louis XIV, was used to provide timber for shipbuilding. A house and its outbuildings were reserved for the intendant responsible for supervising this operation. The Saint-Conval chapel, now extinct, was then served, and the cross was depicted on the old cadastre near the fountain and chapel. These elements, protected by a decree of 2 May 1956, are the last testimonies of this religious and historical site.

The current location, although marked by GPS coordinates, remains approximate, with an estimated accuracy of 8/10. The site is accessible in the state forest of Cranou in Hanvec, Finistère. The remains, listed as Historical Monuments, recall the importance of chapels and calvaries in the religious landscape of Brittany, often linked to local economic activities such as logging.

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