It was a beautiful day when we walked around St Dégan and it seemed a pity to retreat indoors. So, we took the scenic route back to the gîte to investigate two chapels I had noticed on the map.
The Chapel of Saint Goal (17C) is in a tiny hamlet, Calan, and I believe there was a stop here on the Pilgrim route to Santiago do Compostela, although perhaps this was not the original chapel. There is also what seems to be a very old calvary. Saint Goal is another of the Saints who has many different names. He seems to have originated in Wales, establishing monasteries in both Wales and Brittany.
Notre Dame de Tréavrec was built in 1565. I recognised the carvings of dogs? on the side of the church as similar to those I had seen in Sizun. And then there was the carving of what looked like a double-heading snake which I believe represents both good and evil.
Notre Dame de Locmaria-la-Hoët was just round the corner from our gîte and only open at special times, so we were lucky to see the restoration work inside. What a spectacular building! The Chapel was built on the site of a Gallo-Roman building, on the route of the Roman road from Nantes to Quimper. And it was on two Pilgrim routes: the Tro Brezh and the route to Ste Anne d’Auray (which was also the route to Santiago do Compostelo).
And these heads look like those on the West Door of La Martyre…
And outside
It always pays to stop and investigate the chapels alongside the road, and especially those hidden down lanes! Another fabulous outing in Brittany.
Further information
Chapels in Morbihan
A blogsite with a wealth of information about Brittany – do consult for further, detailed information, particularly about Notre Dame Locmaria-la-Hoët
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