Fontaine Saint-Maur
MonumentHidden Treasure
Fontaine Saint-Maur, located in Calanhel (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
- Calanhel, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.4546, -3.4823
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00089046
Nestling in Breton granite, the Saint-Maur de Calanhel fountain combines medieval devotion with 18th-century Baroque fantasy, adorned with mysterious wig heads and sculpted wolf gules.
History
In the heart of inland Brittany, in the peaceful village of Calanhel in Côtes-d'Armor, the Saint-Maur fountain is one of those discreet gems that only the attentive walker can discover. A listed monument since 1927, this granite aedicula bears witness to the lively sculptural tradition typical of Breton votive fountains, while incorporating ornamentation that betrays a later, eighteenth-century sensibility. What makes the Saint-Maur fountain truly unique is the unexpected iconographic dialogue between its various sculptural elements. Heads with wigs - a characteristic motif of classical decorations from the Louis XV period - stand side by side with dog or wolf mouths running along the roof railings, recalling medieval gargoyles and popular chimeras dear to the Breton imagination. This cohabitation of so many different codes makes the fountain a hybrid object, halfway between rural religious art and the ornamental fantasy of the craftsmen of the Age of Enlightenment. The experience of visiting the fountain is one of contemplative intimacy. The water rises silently from a rectangular basin hidden beneath the aedicula, flows in a channel to a second circular basin, then drains away through a final channel in the back wall. This carefully thought-out water flow is reminiscent of the votive fountains where devotees once came to seek healing and protection under the aegis of their patron saint. The surrounding vegetation, typical of the Armorican bocage, enhances the contemplative character of the site. The grey stones of the local granite, weathered by the centuries, absorb the diffuse light of the Breton skies and give the whole a gentle austerity that is nuanced by the sculpted reliefs. The Saint-Maur fountain is as much a place of memory as it is a masterpiece of popular craftsmanship, where the beliefs, skills and fashions of a rural Brittany in the throes of change can be seen in the watermark.
Architecture
The Saint-Maur fountain is a rectangular aedicula built entirely of granite, the emblematic stone of the Breton region, whose hardness guarantees remarkable resistance to time and the elements. Its double-gabled roof is reminiscent of a miniature chapel, giving the monument an architectural dignity that goes beyond mere hydraulic infrastructure. The carefully crafted gable slopes are adorned with sculpted mouldings that are the most original feature of the building: at their lower ends are dog or wolf heads with expressive jaws, while the summits of the two gables are crowned with leaning wig heads, a classically inspired motif treated with a very popular freedom. Inside the aedicula, the back of the niche is occupied by a sculpted bas-de-lampe also featuring a wig head, probably intended to symbolise a tutelary figure or to recall a patron. The hydraulic system is simple and efficient: a spring feeds a rectangular basin dug beneath the aedicula, from which the water flows via a channel to a second circular basin in front of the monument, before being drained off via a second channel in the enclosing wall. This cascading arrangement, typical of Breton votive fountains, allows both ritual and practical use of the water. The overall effect is a skilful blend of medieval tradition - in the design of the animal protections and the monumentalisation of the spring - and eighteenth-century ornamentation, visible in the wigged heads that evoke the decorations of private mansions and classical facades. This stylistic syncretism, far from being clumsy, reflects the creativity of Breton stonemasons who were capable of incorporating the fashions of the time without denying their own heritage.
Related Figures
Saint Maur — disciple de saint Benoît de Nursie, figure tutélaire de la fontaine, invoqué pour la guérison des maladies ostéo-articulairesArtisans tailleurs de pierre bretons du XVIIIe siècle — auteurs anonymes de la sculpture ornementale alliant motifs classiques et tradition médiévaleClergé paroissial de Calanhel — commanditaires probables de la rénovation ou construction de l'édicule au XVIIIe siècleInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques — responsables du classement de 1927, parmi les premiers à reconnaître la valeur du patrimoine hydraulique rural breton
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Fontaine Saint-Maur located?
Fontaine Saint-Maur is located in Calanhel, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Fontaine Saint-Maur built?
Fontaine Saint-Maur dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Fontaine Saint-Maur open to visitors?
Fontaine Saint-Maur is currently closed to visitors.