Fontaines dites du Coq, de la Vierge et des Sept Saints de Bretagne, located in Bulat-Pestivien (Département 22), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Three sacred fountains, listed as Historic Monuments, nestling in Bulat-Pestivien: the Rooster, the Virgin and the Seven Saints of Brittany watch over these springs framed in sculpted Breton granite, popular places of devotion.
In the heart of the Kreiz-Breizh region, in the village of Bulat-Pestivien, three sacred fountains form a votive ensemble of rare coherence: the Fountain of the Cock, the Fountain of the Virgin and the Fountain of the Seven Saints of Brittany. Listed as Historic Monuments since 1913, they bear witness to the enduring Celtic and Christian beliefs that have so often coalesced around the cult of water in Brittany. These fountains are part of an architectural tradition specific to the Côtes-d'Armor and Finistère regions: finely crafted granite aedicules, topped with a canopy or a niche housing a statue of a saint, built near natural springs renowned for their healing properties. The Fountain of the Seven Saints of Brittany has a special resonance, as the cult of the seven founding saints - Brieuc, Corentin, Malo, Samson, Tugdual, Patern and Paul Aurelian - is one of the most deeply rooted in Breton Christianity. To visit these three fountains is to embark on a spiritual and sensory journey. The living water that bubbles from each basin, the grey granite streaked with golden lichen, the discreet ex-votos left by pilgrims still faithful to these places: everything contributes to a rare atmosphere of contemplation. The deep green ferns and mosses that surround the basins add an almost timeless dimension to the whole. The village of Bulat-Pestivien, whose parish church of Notre-Dame is itself a jewel of Breton Gothic art, provides an exceptional setting for these fountains. The whole village is one of the most authentic pilgrimage sites in Central Brittany, preserved from mass tourism and all the more precious for those seeking to immerse themselves in deep, mysterious Brittany.
The three fountains at Bulat-Pestivien are built from local grey granite, a material that is ubiquitous in religious architecture in the Côtes-d'Armor region. Each fountain follows the typical pattern of Breton votive fountains: a carved stone basin receiving spring water, topped by a niche or aedicule housing a sculpture of the saint or tutelary figure concerned, the whole topped by a gabled canopy or a small kersantite or slate roof. The arches framing the niches may be semi-circular or slightly pointed, betraying a late Gothic influence typical of 15th-16th century Breton architecture. The Fountain of the Virgin probably has the most elaborate composition, with a statue of the Virgin in polychrome stone or kersantite in its central niche, framed by pilasters or colonnettes. The Fountain of the Rooster is distinguished by its sculpted emblem - a rooster in the round or in bas-relief - integrated into the architectural composition of the canopy. The Fountain of the Seven Saints of Brittany is undoubtedly the most monumental of the three, as its collective dedication may have justified a more extensive treatment, with seven niches or medallions each representing one of the founding bishops. The sculpture work on granite, reputed to be difficult due to the hardness of the material, reveals the skills of the region's stone masons, heirs to a centuries-old tradition. Despite the ravages of time and lichen, the iconographic details - drapery, nimbus, inscriptions in Breton or Latin - are often still legible, testifying to the finesse of local craftsmanship.
Fontaines dites du Coq, de la Vierge et des Sept Saints de Bretagne is located in Bulat-Pestivien, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
Fontaines dites du Coq, de la Vierge et des Sept Saints de Bretagne dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Fontaines dites du Coq, de la Vierge et des Sept Saints de Bretagne is currently closed to visitors.
