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Origin and history

The chapel of Locmaria-er-Hoët, located in the municipality of Landevant in Morbihan, is a religious building built in the sixteenth century, with major changes in the seventeenth century. It is located in the location of an ancient Gallo-Roman building, overlooking the Roman way from Nantes to Quimper. Its history is marked by an architecture of transition between the Romanesque and Gothic styles, visible in its arcades, pillars and capitals carved of heads of men or animals. The chapel was partially rebuilt in the mid-17th century, as evidenced by the date of 1638 engraved on the southern crusillon.

The structure of the chapel, dated from the 15th century, is an exceptional element thanks to its geometric paintings in red, yellow, black and white ochre, restored in 2007 to identical traces. Old techniques, such as using rabbit skin glue mixed with pigments, have been replicated. The choir, enlarged in the 16th century, has a difference of ornamentation with the transept, while the nave, reborn in 1638, incorporates a door adorned with a cross of Malta, evoking a possible connection with the Templars, although not confirmed.

The furniture and architectural elements reflect various influences: a Roman capital re-used in the transept, a potentially Carolingian lintel in the northern gate, and 15th century stained glass windows, including a representative of the tree of Jesse. The coats of arms of the local noble families, such as those of the Dukes of Brittany, the Lords of Val and Kaer, attest to their preeminence on the chapel. These families, possessors of seigneuries in the 15th and 16th centuries, contributed to its beautification, notably by the reconstruction of the bedside in the 15th century, a period of fascist for the family of Val.

The chapel, in a plan of Latin cross, combines various materials: granite stones for the nave and the cut stone for the bedside. His diaphragm arch separates the nave from the choir, while the arms of the transept house lateral chapels dedicated to noble families. The murals and frame decorations, restored in recent campaigns (2007-2009), reveal rare medieval artistic techniques in Brittany. A 14th century cross Christ, discovered during these works, strengthens his heritage interest.

The chapel of Locmaria-er-Hoët, a historic monument since 24 April 1925, was once used as a station for pilgrimages. Its grassy placister, shaded by an if and marked by a cross, makes it an ancient place of worship, perhaps based on the remains of a Roman temple or villa, as suggested by the border tiles found on site. Today owned by the commune, it continues to bear witness to the religious and seigneurial history of the region.

The latest restorations have made it possible to highlight its most remarkable elements, such as the 15th century credence decorated with trilobes, the stained glass with noble coats of arms, and the historic capitals. Although its link with the Templars remains hypothetical, the presence of symbols such as the Maltese Cross and the diversity of architectural styles make it an emblematic monument of the Breton heritage, mixing Gallo-Roman, medieval and modern heritage.

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