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!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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