Fontaine des Cinq-Plaies
MonumentHidden Treasure
Fontaine des Cinq-Plaies, located in Lannion (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
- Lannion, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.7455, -3.4866
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089286
A jewel of 18th-century Breton granite, the Fontaine des Cinq-Plaies in Lannion reveals its double flight of steps and its popular devotion engraved in stone - a fragment of Breton soul listed as a Historic Monument.
History
In the heart of Lannion, a medieval town perched on the banks of the River Léguer, the Fontaine des Cinq-Plaies belongs to the constellation of sacred fountains that dot deepest Brittany and give it its unique spiritual identity and heritage. Built in the 18th century from carefully cut granite, it bears witness to a tradition that combines practical use with religious fervour, as water is never simply a matter of hydraulics in Brittany. What immediately sets this fountain apart is its meticulous architectural layout: it is accessed via a double staircase, a feature that gives it a dignity akin to that of an open-air oratory. Visitors literally descend towards the spring, a symbolic gesture of contemplation and humility that the builders have translated into stone with understated elegance. Its very name - the Five Wounds - is an invitation to meditation. It refers to the five wounds of Christ, a Christological devotion that was widespread in Catholic Brittany during the Ancien Régime. These votive fountains were local places of pilgrimage, where people came to seek healing, protection or simply a blessing. The water here is not profane: it is medicinal in the oldest and most sacred sense of the word. A visit to the fountain is a natural part of a walking tour of old Lannion, where the half-timbered streets, the hilltop church of Brélévenez and the corbelled facades form a remarkably coherent medieval and modern setting. The fountain, nestling in its grey-blue granite setting, offers photographers soft light and changing reflections depending on the time of day. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1927, it has been protected for almost a century, guaranteeing the integrity of its architecture and immediate surroundings. As such, it is one of the most discreet but sincere witnesses to the collective memory of Lannion.
Architecture
The Fontaine des Cinq-Plaies is a typical example of 18th-century Breton hydraulic architecture at its most accomplished. Constructed entirely of cut granite, it is distinguished by its double staircase access system: two flights of steps open symmetrically to lead visitors down to the pool below, creating an architectural composition of classical rigour, sober without being austere. This double-revolution descent system is technically and aesthetically remarkable. It involves perfect mastery of granite cutting to assemble regular steps, retaining walls and a watertight basin capable of receiving and storing spring water. The grey granite stone used, typical of the Trégor region, has a slightly grainy texture and a colour that varies from pearl grey to bluish grey depending on the light, contributing to the special atmosphere of the site. The ensemble probably features a niche or aedicule evoking the dedication to the Five Powers of Christ, a common iconographic element in this type of Breton votive fountain. The overall composition, both functional and symbolic, bears witness to a period when utilitarian architecture was carefully thought out and harmoniously integrated into the urban fabric of the town. It is modest in size, on the scale of a neighbourhood fountain, but the quality of the workmanship makes it an architectural object in its own right.
Related Figures
Évêques du diocèse de Tréguier — autorité religieuse promotrice des dévotion aux Cinq-Plaies en BretagneTailleurs de pierre trégorois du XVIIIe siècle — artisans anonymes ayant façonné le granit de la fontaineMembres de la fabrique paroissiale de Lannion — commanditaires probables de l'ouvrage au XVIIIe sièclePréfet des Côtes-du-Nord (1927) — signataire de l'arrêté d'inscription aux Monuments Historiques
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Fontaine des Cinq-Plaies located?
Fontaine des Cinq-Plaies is located in Lannion, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Fontaine des Cinq-Plaies built?
Fontaine des Cinq-Plaies dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Fontaine des Cinq-Plaies open to visitors?
Fontaine des Cinq-Plaies is currently closed to visitors.