And why not come back to one of my favorites cities in my lovely Bretagne! This is Quimper at its best and the gorgeous Cathedral St Corentin! I have this older post which I will update text and links for you and me. Hope you enjoy it as I.
And why not tell you about a jewel of a monument in beautiful celtic Quimper. We love to come here and it is always grand; however, I have not tell you enough about the Cathedral Saint Corentin ,and this post will hopefully remedy that missing information. This is a must to visit. The Cathedral Saint Corentin is another matter, much revered by all ; it is a masterpiece so much impossible for me to concentrate on every detail but I give you some here and you are welcome to come!
On the site of previous worship place of the 9C and 11C, its construction was decided in 1239 by Bishop Radwan, the ducal chancellor of Pierre de Dreux, who came from Ile de France. It is the time of the radiant Gothic, where Chartres, Reims or Amiens are built. It is necessary to wait for the advent of the Duke Jean V so that at the beginning of the 15C ends the first part of the work, the choir which is covered with a cross vault of warheads and colored with painted ribs and stained glass with silver yellow. In the second quarter of the 15C only are undertaken, from the west end, first the towers and the porch, then the nave. After 1460 this is grafted onto the choir via the transept, which is surmounted by a 16 meters central steeple. At the end of the century, the builders covered it with a stone vault, coated with ochre and traced to the imitation of a brick assemblage; They chiseled the window mullions and, in the time of Duchess and Queen Anne of Brittany/France, filled them with stained-glass windows. The French revolution and the terror of 1793 put an end to it, transforming the Cathedral into factory stalls hanging on the sides of the cathedral liquors flows and, inside, making a clear place to the cult of reason, by a great burning of furniture, reliquary and statues of polychrome wood are consumed. With the Concordat (the accord between the Church and the French Republic) , the church heals its wounds and restores its Cathedral.
Entrance is done through the West portal with its covings populated with angels, the bearer of a statue of Christ; We must go through the one who said, “I am the Door”. You will see an infusion of stained glass windows all gorgeous amongst them the stained glass windows of the high nave north and south ,and then those of the transept arms to the north and south as well ; these are works from the 16C , representing on the knees of the Lords and Ladies of Cornouaille and standing on their side their patron saints, the Virgin, St. Anne, John the Baptist, the Apostles, Peter, Paul, John, James, Andrews to the Saints and holy ones particularly honoured in the 15C, the Archangel Michael, Catherine, Marguerite, Francis of Assisi, Christophe and some Breton Saints , especially Corentin, etc.
Around the crucifixion of the Christ, the stained glass of the choir is reserved for the personalities concerned by the completion of this construction: the ducal family of John V. Then, Bishop Bertrand de Rosmadec and the canon of Quenquis , and their holy presenters and the eminent families, such as those of the Lords of Juch, then captains of Quimper. These works are from the 15C, with the gothic dominated by grey and yellow silver, are past almost a century to those of the nave, at least those which have not been restored.
The altar, in the center where the eyes converge, brings together the prayers of the faithful. He recalls both by his table the Supper of the Holy Thursday and by the glorious cross associated with the death of Good Friday and the resurrection of the tomb. It is for the church Christ himself and the cult that surrounds this altar goes to his person. In front of the sanctuary, the ancient pulpit to preach, of polychrome and gilded wood, is a baroque work of 1679, , who evokes in his medallions the life of Saint Corentin. The former master altar under a canopy at Seraphim, presented at the Universal Exposition of 1867 . The closing of the wrought Iron Choir is nice too.
Then you have the Chapels all gorgeous I just took some, the Cathedral is immense full of chapels and stained glass and statues lovely worth a detour indeed. These are some of the Chapels
.Chapel of the baptismal font. John the Baptist presides over the fountain baptismal.
Chapel of the three drops of blood,(see post) the blood collected on the tablecloth of the altar is preserved with the head of Christ Roman, beheaded by the revolutionaries. The stained glass represents the scene of perjury. Chapel of the transept with the altar of the Holy Cross. Statues of Saint Guénolé and Saint Conogan (2nd Bishop of Quimper).
Chapel of the Sacred Heart. Onyx Altar, the author of the former master altar (19C). And Chapel of Devotion to Notre Dame de Lourdes, appearing the apparition of Notre-Dame to Bernadette in the Cave of Massabielle.
Replica of the setting at the tomb of Bourges. This sculpted group of the eight-character tomb is a unique cast made from the 16C tomb which adorns the crypt of the Cathedral of Bourges. It was installed at the Cathedral of Quimper in 1868 at the request of the Bishop of the time. From left to right: Joseph Arimathea, Saint John the Evangelist, Mary Mother of Jesus, Marie Madeleine, Marie Salomé, Marie Mother of John, and Nicodemus.
The large organs, built by Dallam in 1643, several times or even remade in 1848 by Cavaillon-Coll. They were restored in 2000 by Giroud.
Other Chapels of importance me think but no pictures are
The Chapel of Saint-Pierre evokes on its walls the collation of powers to bind and untie in Saint Peter. His window of 1856 reminds of the construction of the arrows; presented by Saint Joseph, the bishop offers them to the Virgin and to Saint Corentin. A limestone statue, indicates its burial (+- 1855). Chapel of Saint-Frédéric. The stained glass and murals trace the life and martyrdom of this Saint, originally from Utrecht, Bishop of Wallachia, in the time of Louis the good-natured. Chapel of Saint-Roch. It illustrates the life of this Saint, Pilgrim of Rome and devoted to the plague; Reached himself of this evil, he dies abandoned, except of his companions, an angel and his dog. Chapel of Saint-Corentin. The stained glass and murals report the legend of the cathedral’s patron, his ties with King Gradlon, Guénolé and Tudy. The episode of his fish symbolizes both the multiplication of the breads and fish of the Gospel and the Ichthys (anagram of Christ) Eucharistic that invites to feed daily of his imperishable flesh. On the altar, a reliquary recalls its memory.
Some webpages to help you plan your trip here and visiting is a must are:
The city of Quimper on the Cathedral: https://en.quimper.bzh/670-saint-corentin-cathedral.htm
The Quimper tourist office on the Cathedral: https://www.quimper-tourisme.bzh/cathedrale-saint-corentin/
The Finistére dept 29 tourist board on Quimper: http://www.finisterebrittany.com/node/62
The Bretagne region tourist board on Quimper: https://www.brittanytourism.com/destinations/the-10-destinations/quimper-cornouaille/quimper/
There you go another gem in my lovely Bretagne, Finistere dept 29 and gorgeous Quimper. Enjoy the Cathedral of Saint Corentin a jewel.
And remember, happy travels ,good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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