Paris1972-Versailles2003

Moving right along in this fast pace world of travel in our days,  I take you once again to the my beautiful Morbihan dept 56 of my lovely Bretagne. We will go into off the beaten paths that needs to be known!  Today , I will tell you about  Guéhenno,unique close by town. I love to update these older posts for you and me, great memories, Hope you enjoy it as I.

The battle of Mont-Guéhenno took place during the Chouannerie (the wars against the French revolution and for king). In 1799, a Republican (French revolutionaries) detachment was surprised and was destroyed by the Chouans near Guéhenno. The fate of the Republican prisoners is not known with certainty. According to some witnesses , the prisoners were shot.

The Church of St. Peter and St. John the Baptist  of Guéhenno. Externally, there remains a gable with hooks, a door with braces, hooks and cabbage. On the left, touching the transept, a butt fort has been preserved, at the top of which is a stone Virgin. Inside, giving in the Choir, there remains an altar pool with crest appearing accompanied by a butt. The Church of St. Peter and St. John the Baptist done from the 16C up to the 19C. This church, which dates from 1859 , replaces an older Church of the 16C which was burned in 1794 during the French revolution. From the ancient Church of the 16C, the sacristy was preserved, and It’s pretty flamboyant door as well. Inside you can see, besides a 16C basin, a stone bas-relief from the old porch and depicting various scenes of the Passion and a Virgin to the Child in polychrome wood dated from the 18C. The cowl dates from the 19C. There is also a cranberry credence of the 16C which was updated during the restoration work in 1957.

The Calvary of Guéhenno, which was one of the most beautiful Breton calvaries, was ransacked during the French revolution. The Calvary of Guéhenno is one of the seven monumental calvaries of Brittany and the only one located in the Dept 56 of Morbihan. At the time of the reign of terror, in 1794,during the French revolution, the architectural ensemble composed of the 16C church , the Calvary erected in 1550 and the ossuary, was devastated by the Republican revolutionary troops. It is only fifty years later that the church will be rebuilt and the Calvary restored. It will be necessary to await the arrival of Abbé Jacquot in the parish in 1853, so that the restoration actually begins.

An Altar, where the descent to the underworld is carved, is dominated by a pedestal where the scenes of prayer are depicted in the garden of olives, the flagellation, the crowning of thorns and the Entombment. On this pedestal rises a triple Cross from 1550, to the right and left the two thieves, on the central Cross, at the top, Christ with the Virgin and St. John, below a character crowned and half-lying, further down a Virgin of Pity. At the foot of the Cross, on the pedestal, is depicted Jesus carrying the cross between soldiers and Saint Véronique: at the angles are the figures of the four evangelists. The Entombment dates from 1853, and is composed of seven characters in 19C costume. The resurrection, dated 1853, appears on the two bases of the Calvary: we see the risen Jesus Christ appearing to the Holy women. In 1855, the perimeter of the Calvary was paved.

The city of Guéhenno on its heritage: https://www.guehenno.fr/culture-et-tourisme/les-sites-touristiques/

The Central Morbihan tourist office on the Calvary of Guéhenno: https://www.centre-morbihan-tourisme.bzh/decouvrir/les-lieux-incontournables/2-le-calvaire-monumental-de-guehenno.html

The 7 Calvaries of Brittany webpage on Guéhenno: http://www.7calvaires.fr/en/guehenno/

And again, you see simply beauty before your eyes, these are monumental examples of mankind and when you think of Europe devastated by two world wars and see these again brought back and or save is amazing the human spirit can still do anything. You owe to yourselves visiting in Brittany and see these marvels. We love them. Be welcome to Guéhenno in the Morbihan of course!

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