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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The chapel of La True Cross, located in the village of La True Cross in Morbihan, is a religious building dating back to the twelfth century. Although most of the present elements date from the 16th and 17th centuries, a 13th century portal remains, bearing witness to its medieval foundation. The chapel is built on two levels, with a rare architectural peculiarity: a paved road crosses its transept from north to south, passing under a vault carried by broken arcades. This configuration is reminiscent of that of the Church of Saint Martin in Triel-sur-Seine.

According to a local legend, the chapel was erected at the site where a relic of the True Cross, brought back from the Holy Land by a Breton cross, was stolen by a stake and hidden in an abeth. This relic, now preserved in a 17th century gold copper reliquary decorated with engravings and precious stones, is at the heart of the spiritual vocation of the place. The reliquary, in the shape of a double branch cross, protects the relic in a central medallion.

The upper chapel, accessible by an external stone staircase or, originally, by a five-removal ogival gate dating from the late 13th century, is rectangular in shape and was rebuilt in the 17th century. Under the vault, a small chapel and a cave of Lourdes were built, while the gables of the transept are surmounted by granite crosses. A granite bell tower marks the right end of the nave. The chapel and its crypts have been inscribed in historic monuments since 5 October 1926, highlighting their heritage value.

Access to the upper chapel is done by granite bypassed perrons, located on the side façades. The arched passage under the transept, still used by the road, gives this monument a remarkable architectural singularity. The chapel today belongs to the municipality of La Veraix-Croix and remains a place of devotion linked to the relic of the True Cross, symbol of its legendary and religious history.

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