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Origin and history

The chapel Notre-Dame du Guelhouit, located at the place called Talroch in Melrand (Morbihan), was built in 1683 at the site of an older sanctuary, thanks to papal indulgences granted in 1671 by Clement XIV to the brotherhood of Saint-Isidore. Dedicated to Notre-Dame and Saint Isidore, patron of the plowers, it illustrates the rise of the Isidarian cult in Brittany in the 17th century. Its architecture combines a polygonal elongated plan, rare in the region, and a broken sloped roof inspired by the mansards, topped by a double-storey bell tower. Inside, a painted 18th century panel, restored in 1840, depicts in 24 paintings the miracles of Saint Isidore, while a 17th century altarpiece depicts the saint in Bragou-braz, assisted by angels in the fields.

In the 18th century, a floor sacristy was added to the east, extending the bedside. The chapel, which became a major pilgrimage site, saw its attendance increase in the nineteenth century, requiring the development in 1885 of an open-air sanctuary, the Scala Santa, designed by architect Lucien Douillard. This devotional ensemble, unique in Brittany, incorporates two fountains and a terraced oratory, inspired by Roman practices. The chapel, its santa scala and the Saint-Isidore Calvary (1821) were classified as Historic Monuments in 2003, reflecting their heritage value.

The toponym Guelhouit, a discussed etymology, could mean "All-Power" or derive from the Breton Kel er hoed ("wooded hamlet"). The chapel, built in granite, combines technical stability (wall of support for the slope) and iconographic richness, with statues of the Virgin and Saint Isidore framing the altarpiece. In 2013, she suffered an act of vandalism (partial fire, destruction of statues), in a context of degradation targeting the religious heritage of the country of Pontivy. Today, it remains a representative example of Breton devotional practices, mixing Marian worship and veneration of rural saints.

The cultural ensemble of Guelhouit consists of the chapel, the santa scala (with its two fountains dedicated to the Virgin and Saint Isidore), and the cross of Saint Isidore on the path of procession. Its double apse plan, unique in Brittany, and its original furniture (without remodeling) make it an intact testimony of the religious art of the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. The sacristy dates from the second quarter of the 18th century, while the calvary was erected in 1821. The popularity of pardons, celebrated in honor of Mary and Saint Isidore, motivated the extension of the site in the 19th century to accommodate pilgrims.

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