And why not sticking around the wonderful Finistére dept 29 of the region of Bretagne. And take you to see the real countryside in the so called off the beaten path ways. Follow me in my blog to see it and do search for almost anything. Let me update this older post for you and me. Therefore, here is my new take on the Church Saint Houardon of Landerneau !! Hope you enjoy it as I
The Church of Saint-Houardon was the seat of the parish of Saint-Houardon in Landerneau until 2017, the date on which the deanery which stretches from Saint-Thonan to Rosnoën and from Logonna-Daoulas to Loc-Eguiner, twenty-two active steeples, not to mention Beuzit-Conogan, is erected in a single parish. A first , the Church Saint Houardon stood on the shore of the Élorn river . It was rebuilt in the 16C. In 1604, it is enlarged from a southern porch. In 1858, the Church was dismantled and reassembled in the city center, where it is seen today. The operation was financed by emperor Napoleon III.
On either side of the Elorn river, a church was built. This river was indeed the natural boundary between the two former counties, Léon and Cornouaille, which had their own diocese. Right bank side Leon, the Church St. Houardon was completely moved in the 19C. Closer to the river initially, it could no longer accommodate all the parishioners. Reconstruction and expansion work lasted 3 years, from 1848 to 1861. The porch was raised in finely worked kersantite stone and its slender Bell Tower accompanied by a turret staircase.
It is perhaps, the richest of the Renaissance porches, the most beautiful and the most perfect of those that this school of the Renaissance built with numerous examples in the 16C and almost until the last quarter of the 17C. This porch of Landerneau, which bears the date of 1604 has a facade in a large masterful page, all in fine stone from Kersanton The entrance consists of a large arcade having as uprights two engaged columns, composed of four fluted drums separated by foliage rings, A very powerful spire, almost exaggerated in height, crowns this ensemble. On the first floor, it is square and then changes to the cylindrical shape to form the lantern which consists of two small superimposed domes.
The façade is divided into three floors: on the ground floor, a large arch, open between two corintian columns fluted, above an entablature in the antique, carrying a floor in the shape of attic adorned with three beautiful niches with shells and ten balusters and cushioned by a triangular pediment; on the second floor a sort of attic lower than the previous one and supporting a spoil whose concave curved crawlies are lined by a gusseted railing. Finally, crowning the whole, rises to the top a lantern with domes and balusters. At the corners of the Church Saint Houardon , two thick buttresses, placed obliquely and subdivided into four floors by strong moldings offer an abundant adornment of niches, small arcades, modillions, pilasters and skylights
Inside, the side walls are covered by twelve niches separated by fluted columns with Corinthian capitals. The doors are repeated to form the large arcade surrounding the tympanum, and in the last groove are nested with statuettes of Saints, Inside, the bays of the choir and some of those of the nave are decorated with paintings . At the altar in the north transept is a 17C Pieta remarkable for its style and expression.
The city of Landerneau on its heritage: https://www.landerneau.bzh/un-peu-dhistoire-2/
The Landerneau Daoulas tourist office on the heritage of Landerneau: https://www.tourisme-landerneau-daoulas.fr/landerneau/patrimoine-landerneau-pepites-decouvrir/
The Bretagne region tourist office on Landerneau: https://www.brittanytourism.com/destinations/the-10-destinations/brest-terres-oceanes/landerneau/
There you go folks, enjoy it fully, wonderful town indeed glad I visited wonderful Landerneau,and it was worth it. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Church Saint Houardon of Landerneau !! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 