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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The chapel of Saint Eutrope, located in Langourla in the Côtes-d'Armor, is a 16th century vestige. It is distinguished by its octagonal tower, dated from the 13th century, built of cut stones and pierced by four arches of warheads. This tower, flanked by a turret with a spiral staircase, is the only remaining element of the old church Saint-Eutrope, partially demolished from 1869. Originally it served as a chapel of the dead, watching over the adjacent cemetery, and attracted pilgrims believing in the healing virtues of Saint Eutrope against hydropisia and migraines. The faithful then applied the earth taken at the foot of the tower to their evils before replacing it, a practice that lasted until the twentieth century.

In 1866 the bishop of Saint-Brieuc, Augustin David, intervened to save the tower from the total demolition planned in 1869, thus preserving what remains visible today. Despite its degraded state (weak carpentry, ivy invasion) in the 1950s, the chapel was classified as a historic monument on 19 May 1965, avoiding a new threat of destruction. It was completely renovated after that date. The tower, surmounted by a framed arrow, features Langourla coats of arms on its pillars and bears witness to a remarkable medieval architecture, with its warhead doors decorated with inner columns supporting a stone vault.

The cemetery, originally located at the foot of the chapel, was transferred to the east exit of the village in the late 1950s. Today, the Sainte-Eutope chapel, owned by the municipality, remains a symbol of the religious and architectural heritage of Brittany, linked to popular traditions and a turbulent preservation history. Its classification among historical monuments in 1965 allowed to perpetuate its memory and its role in the local landscape.

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