Chapelle Saint-Gildas

Carnoët

A seigneurial foundation of the early 16th century, probably linked to the neighbouring castle of Tossen Sant-Veltas, this chapel is dedicated to Saint Gildas, a very real figure of the Christianisation of Brittany in the 6th century, founder of the abbey of Rhuys and author of the oldest known historical text on post-Roman Britain. Locally, his cult took a very practical turn: ploughmen invoked Saint Gildas to protect their horses and draught animals from rabies, while tradition credited him with the power to heal men as well as dogs afflicted with the same disease — an agrarian devotion typical of these rural chapels invested with a very down-to-earth protective role. The building itself, attributed to the workshop of the famous architect Philippe Beaumanoir, active throughout the Trégor around 1500, is distinguished by a carved and painted wooden chancel screen, a rare survival of 16th-century polychrome decoration, depicting the apostles and scenes from the life of Christ. The lordship of Carnoët passed in 1626 to a nephew of Cardinal Richelieu, before being sold in 1703 to the Fleuriot de Langle family. Today neighbour to the contemporary site of the Vallée des Saints, the chapel of Saint-Gildas offers a striking contrast between ancient statuary and present-day art.

Getting there : Free access to the placître (chapel green), right next to the contemporary site of the Vallée des Saints

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound