Discover Magoar

The religious buildings and the Fontaine Saint-Gildas in Magoar differ in age, layout and religious significance. The Église Saint-Gildas, the Chapelle des Filles de la Croix in Coatpiquet and the spring can be viewed from different perspectives: the church reveals several phases of construction, the chapel its form and dates, and the Fontaine its architectural design and a former religious practice. This allows you to distinguish between architectural history, spatial form and tradition when choosing a cultural focus.

Architectural history of the Église Saint-Gildas

The Église Saint-Gildas is a building from the 16th and 17th centuries. However, its individual parts date from different periods: the choir and the north transept arm are from the second half of the 15th century, while the nave, the south transept arm and the south porch date from the 16th century. O. Tili built the tower between 1587 and 1623; restoration work took place in 1787. An order dated 7 January 1929 classified the Église as a historic monument. The dates place several architectural elements in their historical context, while the 1929 classification indicates a later protected status. Reading the construction dates alongside the individual elements makes the church’s different phases tangible.

The architectural layout includes a nave, an aisle, a bell tower, an entrance porch, an ossuary, a baptismal font and a seigneurial chapel. The nave forms the main longitudinal section, while the aisle is a space alongside it. Inside, the visible, panelled wooden beams form a vault; the wall supports are carved and the tie beams are moulded. Outside, the gables are decorated with crockets, chimeras and pinnacles. Chimeras are fanciful figurative creatures, while pinnacles are slender architectural ornaments. These features can be distinguished by the spatial layout, wooden details and façade decoration.

The chapel in Coatpiquet

The Chapelle des Filles de la Croix in Coatpiquet dates from 1900. Its floor plan takes the form of a Latin cross; the altar stands at the crossing, where the arms of the cross meet. The two dates from the year of construction also mark distinct events: the foundation stone was blessed on 3 May 1900, and the chapel was blessed on 24 September of the same year. The dates separately record the blessing of the foundation stone and the blessing of the chapel. Compared with the Église Saint-Gildas, whose components date from several centuries, the chapel’s history is centred on a single year and a clearly defined spatial form.

Fontaine Saint-Gildas

The Fontaine Saint-Gildas, a spring dating from the 18th century, is located in Magoar. It lies 250 metres from the religious building. Its gable wall has a niche containing a polychrome wooden statue of Saint Gildas. Polychrome means multicoloured and describes the statue’s finish here. In the past, the Fontaine was the centre of a cult intended to protect dogs from rabies. It therefore connects its architectural design with a former religious practice: the niche and statue describe its design, while the cult reflects its historical significance. The spring thus adds another aspect of religious heritage to the architectural history of the church and chapel.

If you would like to visit the interiors or the chapel in particular, check current visiting arrangements in advance.

Discover more destinations: Tréméloir, Pleumeur-Bodou, Moustéru, Le Vieux-Marché, Pabu, Lanmérin, Pordic, Minihy-Tréguier.

For the broader travel overview: Côtes-D’armor.