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Origin and history

The Saint John Fountain of Plouaret is a rectangular edicle built in 1645 by Jean Kervegan, nicknamed "master tinker", for the seigneury of Guernachanay. Composed of grey granite bahut walls forming a enclosure with benches, it includes an edicle with a sharp gable and a niche housing a statue of Saint John the Baptist (whose head is now broken). Water, known to relieve rheumatism and eye diseases, flows to a water room downstream. The fountain, dedicated to Saint Jean-Baptiste, may replace an ancient Templar shrine mentioned in the 19th century near the village of Saint John.

Ranked historic monument by decree of 20 January 1926, the fountain appears on the cadastre of 1835 east of the Plounévez-Lannion road. In 1871, a new statue, carved by Yves Hernot père (1820-1890), was installed there. According to 19th-century sources, the Templar Commanders once owned a chapel with three altars nearby, now gone, but whose fountain could be a vestige. The building, restored in 2003, retains its devotional character and its characteristic Tregorro architecture.

The site is linked to the Order of Malta, which exercised a high, medium and low jurisdiction in Plouaret, as well as seigneurial rights such as tithes and rents. The fountain, located at the place called 5440 Saint John, illustrates the importance of sacred sources in rural Brittany, often associated with local cults and healing practices. Its inscription among historical monuments highlights its heritage value, both architectural and historical.

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