Brittany 12

Brittany 12

S. Nic_, most picturesquely situated, has a quaint granite church of

the prevailing style of fusion of Gothic with renaissance.

 

_S. Ségal_ (Cadwalader). In this parish the Chapel of S. Sebastian

is of the dimensions of a church. It possesses some old glass. The

Calvary is of the same type as that at Ste. Marie du Menez-hom. It

consists of a cross with a double pair of arms beneath; on the topmost

are SS. Mary and John, on the lower Roman soldiers on horseback. P.

Sunday after 22nd July.

 

_Loperec._ The church (S. Bridget) has a spire of 1668, and an

interesting Calvary of 1552. The porch dates from 1586, with niches

containing statues of the twelve apostles, these carved in 1615. In

the church is some fine work of the barbaric style of Louis XIV.,

especially the retable of the altar of the Rosary. P. last Sunday in

August.

 

_Cast._ Has a Holy Well of the 15th cent., much resorted to, especially

on the Pardon, 2nd Sunday in May. At Lelzach are menhirs. The Mur

du Diable is a wall rudely constructed of blocks not set in mortar,

probably prehistoric.

 

_Quéménéven_ (S. Ouen, who has displaced S. Eugene, B. of Ardstraw).

In this parish is the Chapel of Kergoat, one of the most renowned and

favourite places of pilgrimage in Lower Brittany. The great Pardon is

on the Sunday after the 15th August.

 

* CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-FAOU (F.) chl. arr. Châteaulin. A picturesquely

situated town on the Aulne. The well timbered heights of the Montagnes

Noires rise to the south. The castle has disappeared, and its site is

occupied by the hideous modern chapel of N.D. des Portes in a parody

of Romanesque. The very interesting 16th cent. chapel was destroyed

to make way for this monstrosity. However, the beautiful doorway

(1430) has been preserved. The Pardon, very largely attended, with

a procession bearing candles on the eve, is on the last Sunday in

August. The parish church (S. Theilo, B. of Llandaff) has been rebuilt

and is successful. The tower of the old church, 17th. cent., remains.

The patron has been relegated to a place of no consideration in the

S. transept to make room for saints more modern and in the Roman

Martyrology.

 

_Spezet._ The interesting Chapel of N.D. du Crann is of 1502, and

possesses seven magnificent stained glass windows of 1548. There are

chapels of S. Tudy, P. 3rd Sunday in July, and S. Bridget, P. Sunday

after the Ascension. But the P. at N.D. du Crann, the most important,

is on Trinity Sunday.

 

_Landeleau._ The church (S. Theilo) is fine and has a porch of 1540. P.

Monday in Whitsun Week.

 

CHÂTEAUNEUF (I.V.) chl. arr. S. Malo, on the high road from S. Malo to

Dinan. It is near the estuary of the Rance but is not on it. The castle

has been almost wholly destroyed and a modern castle built on the site.

The parish church, which is small, has a picturesque tower and some

flamboyant windows.

 

_S. Suliac_ possesses an interesting church of the 13th century. It

contains the tomb of the Saint Tysilio, as the Welsh call him, who

is the reputed author of the original History of the Britons, from

which Geoffrey of Monmouth drew some of the facts which he embroidered

with elaborate fiction. He was the son of Brocwel, King of Powys. On

his father's death, an elder son succeeded to the principality, but

reigned only two years and died childless. Thereupon the widow proposed

to marry Tysilio, and take him out of his monastery to become King of

Powys. Tysilio had no inclination either for the lady or for the crown,

and refused. His sister-in-law was exasperated and so harassed him and

his monastery, that he deemed it expedient to quit Wales. He came to

Brittany and landed at Aleth (S. Servan) and founded a monastery where

is now Saint Suliac. On the death of his sister-in-law he returned to

Wales, and became Bishop of S. Asaph in succession to Asaph, who was

his first cousin. In his old age he seems to have retired to die in his

Breton Monastery.

 

CHÂTELAUDREN (C.N.) chl. arr. S. Brieuc. The castle, originally a Roman

camp, was the residence of Aldor or Audrien, prince of the British

colonists who settled here. The castle was destroyed in 1808. It is

now in private grounds, prettily situated above a little tarn. The

parish church is modern, but on the height above the town is N.D. du

Tertre, a church, 2nd pointed but with a flamboyant east window. There

are remains of old glass. There is a 2nd pointed stone altar of S.

Margaret. The spire was added later and there are internal buttresses.

The wooden ceiling is covered with paintings. Near the chapel is a

picturesque 16th cent. mansion. In the parish church alabaster bas

reliefs of the 16th cent. are preserved in the sacristy.

 

_Bocqueho_, on the main road to Quintin, has a flamboyant Chapel of

N.D. de Pitié with stained glass of the period representing scenes of

the Passion.

 

CHÈSE, LA (C.N.) chl. arr. Loudéac. There are halles of the 17th cent.,

and a church of the 18th.

 

_La Ferrière._ The church is partly of the 13th and partly of the 14th

cent. The south chapel is of the 16th, with good glass of 1546 and

1551. Ruins of the abbey of Lantenac, founded in 1150; a portion of the

cloisters remain, and a chapel of the 15th cent.

 

_Plèmet._ Chapel of S. Lubin of the 16th cent. with contemporary glass.

In one window the legend of S. Lubin; in another the life of S. John

the Baptist.

 

CLEGUEREC (M.) chl. arr. Pontivy. Church modern, but in the churchyard

a cross of the 17th cent. In the Chapel of S. Morvan is the tomb of the

Saint, a rude granite sarcophagus. Near the church, by the roadside,

is a lech with crosses cut on it. In the chapel of the Baptist is

16th cent. glass. Several allées couvertes are in the parish. One at

Parc-er-bé, near the hamlet of Rotherbaz, 36 ft. long. At Bod-er-Mohet

remains of another, 72 ft. long, divided into compartments within. Near

by a menhir 12 ft. high. P. at S. Gildas, 1st S. in May. P. at S.

Jean, S. after the 24th June. That at S. Anne 4th S. in July. Pretty

lake at Ste. Brigitte.

 

COMBOURG (I.V.) chl. arr. S. Malo. Church modern and very bad. The

castle belongs to the Châteaubriant family, and is shown on Wednesdays.

It is a structure of the 14th and 15th cents., and has been carefully

restored. It stands above a little lake in a picturesque situation, and

has good grounds and trees about it. In the dining-room is a bust of

Françoise de Foix, who was the wife of the Count of Châteaubriant. The

count was compelled to be at Court, but long refused to allow his wife

to appear there, and only yielded when Francis I. insisted upon it. The

King fell desperately in love with her, and made her his mistress. The

count was forced to swallow his rage, but when the fickle king turned

to Mlle. d'Helly, afterwards Duchesse d'Etampes, then he carried her

back to Châteaubriant where he starved her to death. The castle is

supposed to be haunted by an old Châteaubriant with a wooden leg and

by his black cat. The author of Réné and Athalie spent much time here

in his youth, and his room and chair are shown. A ruined dolmen is at

Chevot.

 

_S. Leger._ Church of the 15th cent. A prehistoric monument goes by the

name of La Chaise de Saint Leger.

 

_Cugnon._ A menhir called La Pierre longue, 20 ft. high.

 

CONCARNEAU (F.) chl. arr. Quimper. A fishing port, where sardines are

tinned. It is also a resort of artists. Concarneau is picturesquely

situated on a bay, and is divided into the New and the Old Town, the

former very modern and uninteresting. The Ville Clos occupies an islet

and is enclosed by walls flanked by towers. Entrance is obtained by

three gates: the principal is to the west and is defended by two great

towers, and has a drawbridge. Some parts of the fortifications date

from the 14th century. One large bastion is attributed to the Duchess

Anne. There is an aquarium in the place, and the studios of the Breton

artists should be visited. The Chapel of N. Dame de Bon Secours is of

the 15th cent. Two kilometres distant to the N.E. is the Château de

Kerjolet, rebuilt and given to the Department in 1890 by the Countess

Chaveau-Narishkine. It contains a museum in which are preserved

specimens of all the coiffes and costumes of Lower Brittany, as well

as antiquities prehistoric and mediæval. The factories for tinning

sardines may be inspected. The costume about Concarneau is pretty, and

the place is noted for the good looks of the women.

 

_Lanriec._ Here is an allée couverte, here is also a cromlech, or

circle of standing stones. P. 2nd Sunday in September.

 

_Trégunc._ Numerous prehistoric monuments. A fine menhir at Ker ar

Gallon, another 30 ft. high. A stone circle 248 ft. in diameter. A

dolmen on the Lande de Kerlan 24 ft. long. P. de S. Marc, the S. after

25th April. P. de N.D. de Bon Secours, 3rd S. in September. P. of S.

Philibert, last S. in August, and that of S. Elizabeth the ensuing

Sunday.

 

CORLAY (C.N.) chl. arr. Loudéac. Church of S. Elouan of 1576. Old Holy

Well. The Chapel of S. Anne was built in 1198, destroyed in the war

of the two Jeannes, and rebuilt in 1485, and dismantled in 1599. On

the Lande de la Justice foundations remain of the old gallows; allée

couverte, called Le Tombeau de Gargantua, near the hamlet of Faouët, on

the road to Uzel.

 

_Haut Corlay._ Near the village is the Men Bixiquet, a menhir 9 feet

high. North of the Tertre aux Colombs, a rectangular fortification

enclosing tumuli, a vast number of others are outside.

 

_Plussulien_ (S. Sulien). The church is of the 16th cent. The Holy Well

of S. Sulien is of the 16th cent. as well. The Chapel of the N.D. de

Saleon of the 15th cent.

 

CROISIC, LE (L.I.), chl. arr. S. Nazaire. A little port and bathing

place. It is here that Cæsar stood to watch the naval fight between

Brutus and the Venetian fleet, which resulted in the complete

destruction of the latter. The Venetii had large vessels with leather

sails, whereas the Romans had galleys. The success of the latter was

wholly due to the failure of wind to fill the Venetian sails and enable

the great ships to move. By this means the Roman galleys were enabled

to attack each huge hulk separately, and the Venetian fleet was thus

destroyed piece-meal. After this Cæsar in cold blood slaughtered all

the nobles, and sold all the population he could lay his hands on

into slavery. Le Croisic lies on a slight elevation that runs as a

ridge banking out the Loire from the low tract of salt marsh on the

other or inland side. N.D. de la Pitié (1494-1507) has a N. porch of

1528, and a tower of the 17th cent. The Chapel of S. Goustan is partly

Romanesque, and has a miraculous Holy Well near it. A marine hospital for scrofulous children is at Le Croisic.