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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Méliau found its origins between the 9th and 10th centuries, although the first documented traces date back to 1631, when a building was mentioned in the town of Pluméliau. This building already housed a altarpiece built in 1658 under the impulse of the Rector Toussaint Cormier, still present today. The church, which had become obsolete, was entirely rebuilt between 1694 and 1696 under the direction of the Rector Mathurin de Farcy, who partially financed the works (3,000 pounds). The building then adopted a form of Latin cross, with a nave devoid of pillars and rich furniture, including altarpieces dedicated to Saint Méliau and Saint John the Baptist, as well as paintings on panel of local saints.

In the 19th century, the bell tower was restored around 1850 and then surmounted by an arrow in 1861 by entrepreneur Léon Henry. At the beginning of the 20th century, the church, judged to be in poor condition, was the subject of a reconstruction project. Demolished in 1942 with the exception of the choir, tower and sacristy, it was rebuilt between 1946 and 1948 by the entrepreneurs Louis André and Pierre Vessier, according to the plans of architect Tassin. The site retained historical elements, such as the 17th century retable, while modernizing the structure.

The church now houses 19 statues, dating from the 16th to the 19th century, made of wood, plaster or limestone. Among them is a 16th century Homo Ecce, Saint Adrien (15th century), or two representations of Saint Méliau, patron of the building. The court houses a monument to the dead of 1924, the work of the Gouzian sculptor, commemorating the soldiers of the two world wars. Restored in 2019, this granite monument symbolizes victory by a winged figure supporting a hairy.

The statuary is divided between the nave (Saint Claire, Saint Francis, Jeanne d'Arc in plaster), the transepts (Notre-Dame de Lourdes, Sacré-Coeur) and the choir, where the limestone figures of the central altarpiece dominate (Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Marguerite). The church thus illustrates the architectural and artistic evolution of a Breton place of worship, marked by successive reconstructions and a preserved furniture heritage.

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