Cimetière de Langonnet
MonumentHidden Treasure
Cimetière de Langonnet, located in Langonnet (Département 56), 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
- Langonnet, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.1040, -3.4922
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091337
Au cœur du cimetière de Langonnet, un calvaire en granit du XVIe siècle déploie ses scènes de la Passion sculptées en haut relief, témoignage rare de la ferveur bretonne de la Renaissance.
History
Nestling in the cemetery of Langonnet, a commune in central Morbihan nestling in the wooded hills of the Pays du Roi Morvan, this granite calvary is one of those discreet treasures that inland Brittany has managed to preserve for centuries. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1928, it is a sober but powerful illustration of the artistic and spiritual vitality of Lower Brittany in the 16th century, a time when sculptors' workshops travelled the region to adorn parish enclosures and rural cemeteries with their works in kersanton or granite. What makes this calvary truly singular is the density of the narrative on its two sides. On one side, the Crucifixion shows Christ on the cross flanked by the two thieves, while Longus - the Roman soldier who, according to Gospel tradition, pierced Christ's side with his spear - occupies a central place in the composition. On the other side, the Descent from the Cross, a scene of rare dramatic intensity, reveals the talent of the sculptors who created it: the bodies are rendered with touching realism, the drapery chiselled into the granite with a precision that defies the hardness of the material. To visit this calvary is to agree to slow down. The Langonnet cemetery is the perfect setting for contemplation. The golden lichens that sometimes colonise the local granite seem to add an extra patina to these five-century-old reliefs. You can take your time to walk around the monument, observing how the morning or evening light reveals the volumes and highlights the figures in the grey stone. Langonnet itself is well worth exploring: the nearby Cistercian abbey, founded in the 12th century, is a reminder that this area has long been a hotbed of intense spirituality. The Calvary in the cemetery is part of the long tradition of popular piety which, from the great cathedrals to the humble parish enclosures, has made Brittany one of Europe's richest areas for religious sculpture.
Architecture
The calvary at Langonnet belongs to the large family of Breton calvaries from the 16th century, characterised by the use of local granite worked in high relief. Although the exact dimensions of the monument are not fully documented, its structure follows the classic pattern of a calvary with a single shaft surmounted by a sculpted cross, erected in the parish cemetery to remind the living of the promise of resurrection. The architectural and sculptural specificity of this calvary lies in the two-sided treatment of its reliefs. On the main side, the Crucifixion scene shows Christ on the cross between the two thieves - Dismas the good thief and Gestas the bad thief - in a balanced triangular composition. The figure of Longus, holding the iron of his spear, introduces a narrative and dynamic dimension that is rare for a relief of this size. The sculptor has succeeded in hierarchising the figures and creating illusionistic depth despite the strength of the material. On the opposite side, the Descent from the Cross brings together several figures - Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, the Virgin, Saint John - in a scene of great emotional expression. The granite used, probably extracted from quarries in the nearby Montagnes Noires, has a medium-grained texture that lends itself well to relief sculpture, while offering excellent resistance to the freeze-thaw cycles characteristic of the inland Breton climate. The lichens and mosses that naturally colonise the stone bear witness to the monument's age and, in their own way, provide an additional layer of authenticity.
Related Figures
Longus — soldat romain légendaire représenté sur le calvaire, celui qui selon la tradition chrétienne perça le flanc du ChristAnne de Bretagne — reine dont l'union avec la France marqua l'essor des arts bretons au tournant du XVIe siècleMoine sculpteur de l'abbaye de Langonnet — commanditaire probable ou conseiller iconographique du programme sculptéCuré de la paroisse de Langonnet (XVIe siècle) — initiateur vraisemblable de la commande du calvaire auprès d'un atelier localInspecteur des Monuments Historiques (années 1920) — auteur du dossier ayant conduit à la protection de 1928
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Cimetière de Langonnet located?
Cimetière de Langonnet is located in Langonnet, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Cimetière de Langonnet built?
Cimetière de Langonnet dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Cimetière de Langonnet open to visitors?
Cimetière de Langonnet is currently closed to visitors.
