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Origin and history

The Church of Saint-Sauveur du Faou, located in the municipality of the same name in Finistère, is a religious building marked by two major periods of construction: 1544 and 1680. Founded by the Hospitallers of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, it was rebuilt at these dates, with a Renaissance bell tower completed in 1629. Its architecture combines a short nave and a large double transept, while the southern porch, dated 1593 and 1613, houses statues of the twelve wooden apostles. The bedside, of Beaumanoir style (1680), and interior elements such as the high altar, confessionals and baptismal fonts (a unique snake-like cuvee in Brittany) date from the 17th century.

The monument is part of an ancient parish enclosure, of which a triumphal door remains. The materials used, such as Logonna's yellow stone and dark kerantite, are typical of Finistère. The church underwent changes, including the destruction of the lossuary in 1880 to expand the national road, and the loss of its stained glass windows, including those of the 1930s representing Saint Jaoua evangelizing the Faou country. A silver chalice of 1648, adorned and partially modified in the 19th century, is one of his remarkable objects.

The building, listed as a historic monument in 1932, also bears witness to local donations, such as Magdeleine de Launay and Olivier Le Goff in 1677 to expand the cemetery and sacristy. The site, classified in 1927, preserves traces of a 17th century funeral liter and a cemetery cross of 1526 displaced. Its steeple, high and open, dominates the port of Faou, stressing its central role in the community and religious life of the region.

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