Saint-They Chapel | Office de tourisme de Douarnenez

Saint-They Chapel

This small chapel, dating from 1766, was where sailors’ wives from Tréboul would come to pray. On the outskirts of the wood, it seems that the chapel was constructed on a special point, where many people can sense certain energies. In 1790, there were up to three Pardon ceremonies held each year, including the Rogation pardon that included a blessing for the fields and for the animals.

Getting there

The bell was forged by Lépine in Quimper in 1789 but can be found today in Scotland, in the bell tower of Alyth church. Around the chapel, you can see the stone cross monument engraved with the date 1577, the Virgin with clasped hands to the west, and the Crucifixion to the east. The fountain you can see lower down dates from 1989. Notice that the bell tower is topped with a dome.

The chapel is not big, only 22 metres long and 6 metres wide. The woodwork, stripped back, is a fine example of marine carpentry. At the intersection of the transept, you can see faces sculpted out of wood.

Saint They, or Saint Dei, was a disciple of Saint Guénolé and a monk in Landévennec in the 4th century AD. He came to convert the people of Poullan-sur-Mer to Christianity. Responding to requests from the local population, this statue was created in the 1950s in the workshops at Pont-Croix.