Paris1972-Versailles2003

And here I am updating again an older post and what a thrill this ride has been for me; and thanks for reading me over the years since 2010! I am going to my beautiful dept 56 of Morbihan in my lovely Bretagne to tell you about an off the beaten path town and the Church of St Peter’s in Questembert!

So coming by here or passing more often, I have already told you about the 16C covered market or halle (see post) in city center Questembert. As traveling road warrior fashion, I have seen the church but never care to go in as seen too many here…. However, this time with the boys, decided to take a peek as it is next to the Halle covered market! And, here is the brief introduction to Questembert and the Church St Pierre!

Questembert sits right on the regional road D775, between the towns of Vannes, 21 km,(the one we always take) and Redon. The nearest beach is about 14 km away at Ambon. The train station is at neighborhood of Bel-Air,and is the stop point for TER Bretagne trains, allowing you to reach the stations of Vannes or Redon to access connections with the TGV Atlantique.

Questembert comes from the Breton “kesten” or “kisten” (chestnuts) and from “Perz” or “Perh” (region). Questembert is a former primitive parish. A Frankish colony would have settled on its territory at the time of Childeric and would have given to this territory the names of Mons Columbarum and Alemania. The Norman Vickings were stopped in 890 at Questembert (at a place called Koët-Bihan or Coëtbihan) by King Alain Le Grand (the Great). A 5 meters tall granite stele was erected on Place Gombaud in 1907 on the occasion of the millennium of the death of King Alain the Great. It commemorates the victory of the Breton chief over the Normans.

The St Peter’s or St Pierre, the church , how about it!  The construction of the Church Saint Pierre, began in 1863 and will not be completed until 33 years later with the construction of the bell-tower. It was built on the ruins of the old Saint Martin du Vertou Church. With its 55 meters high and its beautiful architectural lines, the bell tower has an exceptionally imposing allure; it must have been visible from the surrounding parishes. Inside, the choir has remarkable woodwork, a monumental high altar and an organ gallery.

The Saint-Peter’s Church replaces a 16C church and which has undergone many transformations in the 17-18C. The foundation stone of the current church was blessed in 1863 . The bell tower of the current church, in Gothic style, measures 55 meters and dates from 1895. The woodwork of the choir, dates from 1867. The pulpit to preach, dates from 1875. The main altar, dates from 1888. The organ gallery dates from 1892.

The city of Questembert on the Church St Pierre: https://www.mairie-questembert.fr/au-quotidien/le-culte-a-questembert/

The city of Questembert on its heritage/history: https://www.mairie-questembert.fr/decouverte/presentation/

And now I feel better to give credit to this wonderful town where we sejour several times and friends live there who we see often while in Vannes. Questembert is an in country small town that is worth a detour for the church, the halle, and its many chapels. Enjoy it as we do

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

Ok so this is another small town off the beaten path of my neighboring Finistére dept 29 in my lovely Bretagne. I do my road warrior trips around here and its a delight in real back country scenes. I am updating this older post for some of the monuments in Névez. Hope you enjoy it as I.

Lots of things to see here never ending all wonderful historically and architecturally, love it. I have driven the whole lenght and width of Brittany but still a lot to go lol! Let me continue tell you about the gems here in the off the beaten path trail.  This time let me give you some more of the Church of St Thumette and the Chapelle of Sainte Barbe! in nice little Névez!

Névez is a town in the pays de L’Aven in lower Cornwall, region of Brittany. The town of Névez is limited to the north by the town of Pont-Aven, (see posts) to the east by the right bank of the ria de L’Aven which separates it from the town of Riec-sur-Bélon (see posts), to the south by the Atlantic Ocean over a length of about seven km and to the west by the town of Trégunc . Névez means “new” in Breton. The parish is mentioned for the first time in an act dating from 1078.

An anecdote of the history of the town tell us that on July 15, 1795, the English attempted to land 2000 Chouans (rebels against the French revolution) on the beach of Raguénez in Névez to operate a diversion and take the Republican army (loyal revolutionaries)  in reverse. In fact, a few days earlier, the Englishmen had attempted imprudently to land Breton emigrants on the Quiberon peninsula (see posts), but they had found the army of General Hoche (native of Versailles) who were driving them off the road. The Chouans were received by the fire fueled by the artillery of the Fort of Raguénez and pushed back to the sea for the first time. The English however had not given up their project and the Chouans were landed a little further in the Cove of Rospico. Believing that it was the Englishmen who wanted to put everything to fire and blood the inhabitants of Névez had abandoned their homes and fled. A few days later, 1700 Republican soldiers settled in Keranglas. All the space between the village and the sea was covered with tents to accommodate them. But they arrived too late. The Chouans had already left the scene and regained the Morbihan (dept 56).

The first constructions in standing stone or orthostates would go back to the 17C (an act of house sales tells us of 1695), but they would have developed especially in the 19C in Trégunc and Névez, serving as walls to many houses, others  standing stones being erected in the closing of plots or properties; their origin would be due to the need to rid the fields of the many rocky chaos that crowded them, especially on the edges of the Aven river. A sight to see a wonderful architectural find.  Some things to see here with time are the port and the beach of port Manec’h, at the mouth of the Aven and Bélon rivers. Ascent of the Aven river with the Henan and the port of Kerdruc ; the beach of Tahiti and the island of Raguénez, the beach of Rospico and the gardens of Rospico , the castle of the Henan ,15-16C. The castle of Poulguin 16C.  And the before mentioned  houses or Men Zao (“standing stones “).

And for the name of the post here they are:

The Church of Sainte-Thumette, rebuilt in 1900 ,initially from the 16C. Sainte Thumette is one of the companions of Saint Ursula. It is a Latin cross-shaped church that includes a nave of five bays with aisles, a transept and a choir. The bell tower is semi-recessed. The church houses the statues of St. John the Baptist, St. James, Ste. Thumette, St. Diboan and Saint Cornély.  The old Parish Church of Névez, Ste Thumette was low and obscure,a monument of flamboyant style from the 16C. It was under the word of Ste. Thumette. Between 1894 and 1900 a new church was built at the site of the former, condemned because of its dismal state.

It has three-nave layout; cut-out bedside flanked by two square-plan sacristies to the north and south.The bell tower in-work, chamber of bells pierced by eight bays in clear-Lines, unbuilt arrow. Big work in granite rubble partially coated with cement. Granite-sized stone for door and berry framing and corner chains. Nave with five spans, brick vault painted in white with crossed ogive illuminated by tall stained windows; resting on committed balusters. Broken arch arches resting on Corinthian capitals worn by columns.  The floor covered with cement.

The Chapel of Sainte-Barbe (Santa Barbara) with its bell tower of the 15C. It is a Tau-shaped church of the late 15C. The altarpiece dates from the 17C. The stained glass represents the Annunciation. The chapel houses the statues of Sainte Barbe, Saint Cornély, Saint Herbot, Ste. Anne and the Virgin, Ste. Margaret, Saint Fiacre, Ste. Catherine and two adorers Angels. It located in the city center, in the form of a cross and measures 22 to 23 meters in length over 6 meters wide to the nave and 20 meters to the transept. Its west gable is topped by a pretty Gothic steeple, whose four studs are formed by round, diamond-tipped balusters, cut off from a ring with which the pull that supports the bells is made. The arrow, widely opened at the base, is accosted by four Gothic pinnacles. The Chapelle Sainte Barbe served, before the 19C, as a parish church, before the construction of the current church on the square. Since that time, the chapel has served to worship in an episodic manner. It was at the center of a placister today dented by the rising houses in the 19-20C.

To the left of the Altar you can see a great Sainte Barbe with her tower; on the right, Saintr Anne holding the Blessed Virgin. At the transept appear the statues of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Ambrose and St. Catherine of Alexandria trampling a character that symbolizes the philosophers of which she had triumphed. At the other side transept are Sainte Marguerite, a monstrous Dragon, Saint Cornély who comes from the old parish church, and Saint Herbot.

The town of Névez on its history: https://ville-nevez.com/histoire/

The Finistére dept 29 tourist office on Névez: https://www.toutcommenceenfinistere.com/article/nevez-en-sud-finistere

The parish churches of Quimperlé on Ste Thumette and Ste Barbe of Névez: https://www.paroissesquimperle.fr/%C3%A9glises-chapelles/n%C3%A9vez/

There you go folks another gem in the off the beaten paths of the Finistére in my lovely Brittany. Enjoy Nevez small yet packs a punch with Thumette et Ste Barbe! 

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

Ok so let go updating again this time in my neighboring dept 29 of Finistére in my lovely Bretagne. This is sort of another off the beaten path territory but worth the detour indeed. Let me tell you a bit more of the Church of Saint Démet in Plozévet!!

Ok so now not the usual Church or monument or even town, I move you down to the off the beaten path category. I love these places in my lovely Brittany. I take you now to the town of Plozévet.  And again briefly mentioned in previous posts, I like to tell you more of my Brittany, the 3rd most visited region in France, being the No 1 visited country in the world! (UN-WTO).

Therefore, let me tell you a bit more on the Church of  Saint Démet!  Wait a minute, you know Plozévet  ? ok so let me tell you a bit on it ok.  Plozévet is located halfway between Quimper and Pointe du Raz, (see posts) in the country of Bigouden. Plozévet is part, together with nine other towns of the community of towns  of the high country of Bigouden.

In town or around Plozévet ,they have found between 1882 and 1888 four menhirs stones, the Menhir de Kervinou, high of 1.5 meters, is implanted in the field but visible from the road to Menez Queldrec to Menez Kerlaeron; the menhir Fendu (split) , also said of the two twins, menhir Trapu, and the menhir de Lestrouguy , two dolmens, a megalithic open-air chamber, several  tumulus, 68 objects in and within them such as daggers, armband of archer, pottery, vases, etc, not to mention the fluted stele with 25 well-eroded splines  remained visible near the location of the missing covered driveway of the Penker and two others, located at the entrance of the Brénizénec mill yard, not in their original location. The meaning of these splines remains unknown. A Roman road departed from Pont l’Abbé  to the Pointe du Raz passing through Plonéour, Tréogat, Pouldreuzic and Plozévet. They are also, several chapels.

Before the French revolution, Plozévet had an exceptional case in the region, neither castle nor Lord; the monarchical regime was present there by the rector,  was the only authority present, both religious and political. This is the probable source of the local anticlericalism. Plozévet accepted a priest swearer to the new Constitution in 1791, which is exceptional in the region.  On 14 January 1797, the 74-gun Droit de l’Homme vessel, which participated in the French revolution wars (first coalition), was stranded on a sandbank. The sinking of the Droits de l’Homme was the conclusion of a naval battle between a French line ship and two British frigates off the coast of Brittany during the wars of the French revolution.

Now,the feature monument in Plozévet, the Church of Saint Démet.

Parish Church of Saint-Démet at Place de l’église corner of rue d’Audienne is in form of a Latin cross, dedicated to Saint Démet. It is topped by a Gothic bell tower. The west façade is from the beginning of the 15C while the column line comes from an earlier church probably dating back to the 13C. The lower door to the west and the porch to the south are both ogive gothic style. The nave with its low-side dates from the very end of the 16C and is separated from the transept by a diaphragm arch. The Church of Saint Démet has elements of different eras,  it has a rectangular Choir, a transept and a nave lined with a aisle. A diaphragm arch separates the nave with five arches of the transept, the nave being the oldest part 12C. The rest of the church, minus the bell tower, dates from the early 16C. The large porch is covered with an arch of stone warheads. The bell tower was rebuilt around 1793, but it retains its Gothic spire. The sacristy,dates from 1701.

The Church of Saint Démet ceiling are vaulted in wood under a frame of 1750. The high Altar and the transept are from the 18C. The ancient baptismal font shows a depiction of death  and a demon mask. There are many statues adoring this Church of St Démet such as  Saint Démet as Bishop, an ancient Pietà 15C, Saint Alar, late 16C. Saint John ,the Baptist, Saint Mathurin, Saint Corentin, Saint Michael,  and Saint Charles,with  several Virgins to the Child including one from the 17C, and another Pietà in front of the Altar of the right transept.  Note that the stained glass of the bay of the Choir representing a passion done in 1957 is a very colorful work . The stained glass windows of the transept, with a lozenge motif, date from the mid-19C.

A quant lovely little town of the Finistére breton and a nice stop along the coast of the department. Lovely territory of course a car is king, but worth it if interested to know the real country of France.

The town of Plozévet on its heritage: http://commune.plozevet.free.fr/patrimoine.html

The Bigouden country area tourist office on the church: https://www.destination-paysbigouden.com/a-voir-a-faire/visites-patrimoine/eglise-saint-demet-1486394

There you gofolks, another nice monument and a great area to be naturally in Brittany off the beaten path. Hope you enjoy the post as we do ,in Bigouden country of Plozévet.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!