And why not upgrade, revised this very old post that was my introduction to the city of Quimperlé in the Finistére dept 29 of my lovely Bretagne. As it happened , visited several times afterward and plenty of posts on it in my blog. Therefore, this is on the black and white series, pictures elsewhere. Even now go more as my car dealer is there now and follow up the nice salesmen there!
As usual in lovely Bretagne there is the challenge of rains , this time during the early night into early morning, and we got up a bit late, then decide what to do as we always do; last minute road warriors. I have heard of Quimperlé and it was only about 45 minutes by car from my house so decided to give a shot, a visit , a taste of a visit.
Quimperlé belongs to the region of Cornouaille (Kernev, Bro Gernev in Breton) , and the name of Quimperlé comes in Breton Kemperle that is derived from kemper, « confluent » and Ellé a river that goes into to create the Laita river that goes into the Atlantic ocean and allows the city to have a port access.
Of course, we come always by car. However, there is TGV train service from Paris Montparnasse to the train station here, as well as TER Bretagne train service regional. You can come from Vannes or Auray as well by train.
And excellent bus service which I saw in action with frequent passing of buses all over the city, ticket can be purchase on the bus. Like I said I come by car on the N165 freeway and go into the exit Quimperlé Centre on the road D16 following Centre signs you reach the place St Michel with plenty of free parking in the white lanes. However, you have many parking parks all over the city many for free, not blue lines. Here is a name list in lower city or Basse Ville ;Parking de la Place Charles De Gaulle,Parking at la Place du Barzaz Breizh,Parking de la Place des Anciennes fonderies Rivière,Parking de la rue du Bourgneuf, Parking de la rue Ellé, Parking du Cinéma, and on high city or Haute Ville, Parking de la Place Saint-Michel(mine), Parking de la Place Winston Churchill, -Parking de la Place Jean-Jaurès, and Parking du Coat-Kaër.
I briefly mention some things to see/do already with posts and pictures elsewhere in my blog.
The one monument, you must and I saw it several times,as along is worth the trip to Quimperlé is the abbey church of Sainte Croix or Eglise Abbatiale de Sainte Croix. Its a jewel and in splendid conditions. It is here that all started… It the most prestigious monument of the city of Quimperlé, an abbey founded in the 11C by the Count de Cornouaille, Alain Canhiart following a miraculous cure. His church along with the abbey of Lanleff, the only church in Brittany to have a circular plan copied as the one in the Saint Sepulcre of Jérusalem. It form a Greek cross, and has equally a form of a clover drawn as in the Saint-Sépulcre of Jérusalem. From the 11C it has been preserved its interior a wonderful museum of works of arts. The choir of monks is a one of the best realisations of Roman art, the crypt from the 11C is still preserved, a entombment of Christ sculpture in about 1500 ,a retable from the 16C, a Christ en robe(dressed Christ) ,and a pulpit from the 17C are ,also, remarquably there!!! A must to see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The market life is important from the 20C on and still goes on the main one at 48 place Saint Michel, it goes on every Friday from 8H to 13H with a second smaller market all year on Sunday mornings from 8H to 13h around the Les Halles ,Place Hervo.
The historical Le Présidial, the building mostly gone now only is left with a front , it was built in 1683 to replace an covered market!. From the visual stairs shown you went into a terrace that give to the first floor, where the justice audience was carry out ,at the end of this salle or room you had two doors communicating to allow exchanges with the municipal elected officials . The found guilty were enclosed in the building next to the stairs that served as municipal prison. At the revolution in 1791 the moved of the mayor’s office and the tribunal to the old abbey of Sainte Croix . The “Le Présidial” served as seat of the members of a society that housed the loyals of the cult ephermeric . The Hall survived in the ground floor until 1829. The “présidial” served temporaly as a prison until 1868 after the belltower of the Sainte-Croix after 1862. It was abandoned and became a work help or employment bureau and later a place of meeting for the workers union of the C.G.T. It has now house art expositions organise by the city of Quimperlé.
The ruins of the church of Saint Colomban, there since the 6C!!! with a Celtic monastery following the rules of Irish Saint Colomban. Destroyed by the Vikings in 878. Some claimed to have been renovated by the year 1000 and on the 13C a great Gothic church long of 50 meters was built. It still can be seen a piece from this period by the wall of the altar with sculptures and a facade renovated from the 15C. church of the lower city or basse ville it comes into diehard times and to ruins for lack of maintenance in early 19C. The modern cinema is there now in the old altar of the church now name Cinema La Bobine.
Abbaye Blanche or white abbey, built around 1265 by duke Jean Ier to house a convent of the order of the Dominicains to compete with the powerful Benedictines of the Abbey Church of Sainte Croix. The name of the abbaye blanche or white abbey is probably in honor of the duke’s wife Blanche de Navarre( Navarra) or to the color of the clothes of the monks there. The convent was closed in 1790 (French revolution) , and the church disappeared and the monastiques symbols are progressively dismembered. In 1808 the ladies of the retirement of the sacre heart or Sacré-Coeur. In 1887, a cult of Saint-Joseph is established. The sisters are replaced in 1960 by the daughters of Jésus de Kermaria. The Chapel of Saint-Joseph is built between 1932- 1935.
The Pont Fleurie, or flowery bridge, crosses the river Ellé at the level of the place Lovignon ,and was until 1643 the only means of access to Quimperlé from the east. It has been renovated by the 15C and the central arches done after the flooding of 1746 . The bridge was guarded by two towers on heavy thick walls surrounding the lower city or basse ville opening out with three portes or doors following to roads , Vannes-Quimper and Quimperlé-Carhaix. The ramparts were done between 1250 and 1270, became in ruins after the war of the Hundred Years and were erased for good by 1680. The granite blocks salvage were then used to built the quai Brizeux bordering the Laïta river. the bridge inspired several painters from the 19C on, and one Theodore Hersart de la Villemarque , wrote Barzas-Breiz (Breton popular songs and dance) has a statue there by the bridge.
And it was here that we had lunch , on the rue d’elle by the river, and pont Fleurie at the Créperie du Pont Fleurie, 5 rue Ellé. I had a pizza cochonne with the local andouille sausage and potatoes, and cheese huge really for two persons, banana splits, coffee, the rest had more or less the same and two bottles of cider Patrick Gourlay local fermier ; 21 euros per person! must be back ,must you visit,the service was prompt and very friendly ,we spoked with servers and owner all nice. Indeed we have been back several times!
By place St Michel you have the Church of Notre Dame de l’Assomption, an old chapel built in two times, the nave dates from the 13C ,the tower, choir from 14C and the porches from the 15C. It was in ruins in 1373 by one Du Guesclin during the war of succession for Brittany, the church rebuilt thanks to aid from duke Jean V, decorated flamboyant gothic and enlarged. Its new choir vouté in stones with its tower reaching 35 meters ( a arrow tower in wood covered in lead will have it at 60 meters). To come back to see the sanded sculptures in the nave done in 1430 ,amongst the oldest in Brittany. It is ,also, commonly call Church of St Michel as well by locals.
Ancient couvent des Ursulines, or old convent of the Ursulines, the foundation of the community of Ursulines in Quimperlé dates from 1652. They buy in 1665 the stables of Bel-Air. First stone of the building is done in 1667 and the entry of the monastery is done by the Ursulines in 1674, where they would teach to the daughters of the neglected . the success makes for enlarging of the buildings from the 18C to end of the 20C respecting the original architecture of the building. the law Combes, establishing the separation of State and Church in 1905 take them out. The old monastery becomes a primary school for girls. In WWII, the building is taken over by the Nazi security and police. The Gestapo ,interrogates, torture in its walls. AFter the war, the building is return to a primary school teaching girls then to a collége or middle school Jules Ferry. The chapel is today a place to have expos of comptemporary arts.
Other things to see in future trips are the Chapelle de Lothéa, the Hôpital Frémeur, and inside the Chapelle Saint-Eutrope, and the Maison des Archers all sound wonderful to see
The city of Quimperlé on its identity: https://www.quimperle.bzh/decouvrir-la-ville/quimperle/carte-didentite/
The Quimperlé Terre Océane tourist board on Quimperlé in English: https://www.quimperle-terreoceane.com/en/discover/our-towns/quimperle/
And there you go folks a brief introduction to the wonderful Quimperlé. Plenty afterward posts on it in my blog, worth the visit me think. Hope you enjoy it and do come when possible.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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