Chapelle Saint-Lubin
MonumentHidden Treasure
Chapelle Saint-Lubin, located in Kergrist-Moëlou (Département 22), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Kergrist-Moëlou, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.2722, -3.3170
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089212
Au cœur du Kreiz-Breizh, la chapelle Saint-Lubin de Kergrist-Moëlou déploie son architecture de granit breton du XVIIe siècle, entre sobriété monastique et ferveur populaire. Un joyau rural protégé aux Monuments Historiques depuis 1925.
History
Nestling in the deep soil of Central Brittany, in Kergrist-Moëlou, the Saint-Lubin chapel is one of those discreet buildings that, in just a few square metres of granite, encapsulate all the rural piety and the art of building of 17th-century Brittany. Far from the flamboyant cathedrals of the coast, it embodies another facet of Brittany's religious heritage: intimate, rooted in the land and crafted by local hands according to an age-old tradition. What makes Saint-Lubin so special is precisely its human scale. Built from the grey granite characteristic of the Côtes-d'Armor region, the building rises unostentatiously from a landscape of hedged farmland and gently rolling moorland. Its squat silhouette, its wall-belfry or small bell-tower, depending on the successive alterations, and its soberly dressed buttresses bear witness to a devotional architecture forged in humility, far removed from aristocratic pomp. The visit offers a sensory plunge into the long history of inland Brittany. Visitors will discover a contemplative interior, perhaps adorned with statues of local saints in kersanton or polychrome wood - works that blend popular ingenuity with mystical sincerity. The paved floor, whitewashed or bare stone walls and light filtered through small windows create an atmosphere conducive to silence and contemplation. The outside setting is also an integral part of the experience: the historic parish cemetery that often surrounds these rural Breton chapels, the mossy granite crosses, and the beech and oak trees that line the enclosure bear witness to the continuity of community and spiritual life over the centuries. For heritage enthusiasts, photographers or simply walkers in search of authenticity, Saint-Lubin offers that rare emotion that comes from monuments forgotten by the major tourist circuits.
Architecture
The Saint-Lubin chapel is in the tradition of Breton rural religious architecture of the 17th century, characterised by the almost exclusive use of local granite, a very hard material that gives the buildings a striking mineral austerity. The plan is probably of the simple rectangular type, with a single nave and a flat or slightly projecting apse, a common feature of chapels in the Kreiz-Breizh region, which favours functional sobriety over structural complexity. The west facade, dominated by a bell tower wall or a small balustraded bell tower, features a semi-circular or basket-handle portal, whose sculpted decoration - foliage, angels' heads or plant motifs - reflects the late inflections of the Breton Renaissance style. The exterior walls, built of carefully cut granite rubble, are punctuated by buttresses with dripstones to support the thrust of the vaults or roof timbers. The roof, traditionally covered in slate from Anjou or Finistère, follows the low lines of the building. The few, small windows are fitted with granite mullions and let in sparse light, conducive to contemplation. Inside, the church's furnishings are of particular interest: statues of saints in polychrome wood or kersanton - the black stone extracted from the Crozon peninsula and particularly prized by Breton sculptors - altars in granite or gilded wood, ex-voto statues testifying to the graces obtained through the intercession of Saint Lubin. The monolithic granite baptismal fonts and the armorial funerary slabs, sometimes visible on the floor or embedded in the walls, are reminders of the close links between these chapels and the noble families of the surrounding parishes.
Related Figures
Saint Lubin (Leobinus), évêque de Chartres (VIe siècle), saint patron de la chapelle, réputé thaumaturge et protecteur contre les maladies ophtalmiquesSeigneurs de Kergrist, familles nobles du Poher (XVIIe siècle), probables commanditaires ou mécènes de l'édifice actuelMembres des fabriques paroissiales de Kergrist-Moëlou (XVIIe siècle), artisans de la construction et de l'entretien de la chapelleSculpteurs locaux anonymes du Kreiz-Breizh (XVIIe siècle), auteurs du mobilier sculpté en granite et en bois polychromeInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (1925), responsables de la reconnaissance patrimoniale et de la protection de l'édifice
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chapelle Saint-Lubin located?
Chapelle Saint-Lubin is located in Kergrist-Moëlou, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Chapelle Saint-Lubin built?
Chapelle Saint-Lubin dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Chapelle Saint-Lubin open to visitors?
Chapelle Saint-Lubin is currently closed to visitors.
