Église Saint-Gildas de Magoar

Magoar

The name of Magoar is said to come from the Breton "moger", ruins — a name that already speaks of the site's antiquity: a papal bull of 1190 confirms that the parish was then among the possessions of the abbey of Sainte-Croix de Guingamp. The present church, dedicated to Saint Gildas, a 6th-century Breton monk renowned for his miracles, dates from the 15th century, with a bell tower added the following century; it unfolds a nave and a single aisle completed by a porch, an ossuary and a seigneurial chapel, beneath an old-style panelled roof frame whose carved wall plates and gables adorned with crockets and chimeras bear witness to the skill of late medieval craftsmen. Listed as a monument historique (historic monument) in 1929, the church is best known for its pardon, the Breton pilgrimage festival celebrated on the last Sunday of January, which continues with a procession to the neighbouring fountain dedicated to the same saint. A local tradition, well attested and rather singular, had dogs brought there to be blessed and protected from rabies, by giving them food in the small basin called Tul-ar-Hi. This animal cult, mingled with Christian devotion, illustrates the way Breton pardons long combined spiritual protection with the very concrete concerns of rural life.

Getting there : Free admission

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

Ambient sound