Paris1972-Versailles2003

I come up north to a very nice popular Dinan. Not to be confused with the other similar name town this one is in the dept 22 of Côtes d’Armor. And one of the beauties of it is its castle museum! We came by car of course, and as always once in town, walking is it. Lovely city to walk full of history and architecture marvels, the Castle is one of the main attraction but there are others, I have written before on Dinan (see posts), but believe the castle museum deserves a post of its own, well deservenly.Therefore, here is my take on the Castle museum of Dinan!

The Château de Dinan lies to the south of the city. It is a composite ensemble, formed at the end of the 16C by the Duke of Mercœur from three elements initially distinct: The ducal tower, built in the decade 1380 by the Duke of Brittany Jean IV, the Guichet tower originally the southern gate of the city-and the Coëtquen tower, a remarkable artillery tower built at the end of the 15C during the modernization of the urban enclosure, sponsored by the Duke Francis II. The ensemble is part of the urban enclosure of Dinan, built at the end of the 13C by the Dukes of Brittany, and was once the third most important of the duchy after those of Nantes and Rennes.

Winner of the War of succession of Brittany, Jean IV (Jean Montfort)  the Conqueror, Duke of Brittany, decided to build a master tower in Dinan in 1380 in order to assert his authority in a city that had long supported his rival Charles de Blois . The construction site is completed in 1393 and maybe even from 1384. Made up of two contiguous round towers, the junction of which is reinforced to the west by a square front, the building culminates more than 30 meters. The coronation is reinforced by machicolations, More than a fortress, this construction is above all a princely residence, a real palace tour where the distribution of the spaces and the high quality of the interior decorations meet a strict organization, characteristic of the end of the 14C. Thus, on five levels, the kitchen, the banquet hall, the siding room and the chapel, and finally the private apartments, take place in turn. Originally, a sixth level and a roof described in 1636 as double peaks in slate-covered spikes complemented the ensemble. A remarkable example of the architecture of the late 14C, the tower-Palace of Dinan, due to its architectural complexity and the quality of its decor, is one of the great princely mansions of the period.  At the end of the 16C, Dinan became a stronghold of the Catholic League and, under the impetus of the Duke of Mercœur, governor of Brittany, major changes were made. In order to reunite the master tower at the Coëtquen Tower, an artillery tower erected at the end of the 15C, a military sheath called the Mercoeur underground was arranged, resulting in the condemnation of the Guichet gate which is then walled. In parallel, a high-court, protected by spurs structures was built in a very significance way, it is to the city and not to the exterior that are turning the doorways.

The castle, which became a common law prison in the 19C, was bought in the early 20C by the town of Dinan, which installed its municipal museum in 1908. The Museum of Dinan in the ducal tower which then becomes the Castle Museum. Dedicated to the history and crafts of Dinan and its territory, The Castle Museum of Dinan includes more than 5,000 works and objects listed in the museum’s inventory, covering all historical periods. The Dinan museum has a collection of prehistoric and protohistoric objects ,also has a collection of ancient Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, Cypriot objects, including ointment vessels and banquet vases. In addition to preserving a series of Gallo-Roman objects from the land of Dinan. The museum’s collection of objects and works from the Middle Ages includes coins, five recumbent granite, including that of Rolland de Dinan, and several sculptures and objects, The Dinan museum also has a collection of works from the 17-18C, including a painting by Pierre Mignard depicting the Greek god Apollo, a pastel portrait of Charles Duclos, by Jean-Marc Nattier as well as two fragments from Raoul’s tomb. Marot des Alleux . The museum ,also stands out for its collection of non-European objects such as Buddhas from Indochina, spears from Haut-Oubangi, etc., and its collection of local ethnography from Upper Brittany, such as costumes, ceramics, craftsmen’s tools, household tools, and furniture. And continuing on its wonderful collection, the Dinan museum also has a collection of sculptures and paintings, Finally, it keeps a large collection of natural history specimens such as rock samples, fossils, and shells. Really looking forward to see it back on display !!

The Castle Museum of Dinan is on an a  Projet Scientifique et Culturel,(cultural and scientifc project)  that came about from 2019 to determine its orientation for the future , however, due to the virus all is on hold and still no official news, If going call ahead to confirm ok.

The official Château Musée de Dinan : https://www.chateaudedinan.fr/le-chateau/

The city of Dinan on the castle/museum : https://www.dinan.fr/161/musee-de-dinan

The Dinan Cap Frêhel tourist office on Dinan : https://www.dinan-capfrehel.com/en/our-destination/not-to-be-missed-any-circumstances/dinan-unmissable-medieval-city-brittany/

There you go folks, a dandy in the north of Brittany and a must visit me think, Hope you have enjoy the post on the castle museum of Dinan as we have, Another beautiful  excuse to come to the Côtes d’Armor dept 22 of my lovely Bretagne where history architecture and religion is all around us every day. Hope you enjoy it and do come is a must visit! The castle museum of Dinan is very nice indeed

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

And here here again just a tab mentioned in previous post on the towns of the Rhuys peninsula or Presqu’Île de Rhuys, and need to tell you more. I come here often even if going to Arzon takes me about an hour from home by car. I like to tell you about the stone megalith of the Cairn de Petit Mont of Arzon!!

Arzon  is in my beautiful Morbihan dept 56 of course and in the lovely region of Bretagne. Located at the end of the presqu’Île de Rhuys. it is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Morbihan, to the south by the Bay of Quiberon, western part of Mor Braz (Atlantic ocean), and to the east by the town of of Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys (see post). You should not leave the area without visiting the Cairn du Petit Mont, or the megaliths stones tumulus found here dating thousands of years, and it has free parking and a nice museum boutique before getting to the stones.

The cairn of the Petit Mont, houses a monumental ensemble composed of two adjoining cairns, built in several phases during the Neolithic era, and two dolmens whose rooms are richly decorated with engravings. The view from its top allows to embrace almost the entire Bay of Quiberon.  I have visited and even came close by boat from the bay side.

A bit of history I like

The megalithic site of the Cairn de Petit Mont overlooks the Gulf of Morbihan. Culminating 36 meters above the ocean.  From the height of its 6000 years of history, the Petit Mont cairn casts an enchanted gaze on Breton megalithic architecture. Proudly erected on the Rhuys peninsula,(see post) it offers a beautiful horizon, allowing visitors to discover Belle-Île, Houat, Hoëdic or the Pointe de Kerpenhir in Locmariaquer (see posts) . It is finally to understand its strategic place during WWII, since a bunker was built there in 1942.

A first occupation of the site is attested around 4,500 BC by the construction of a low mound underlying the cairn and the discovery of ceramics attributed to the culture of Cerny in a nearby habitat. A first cairn was built on this mound a few centuries later. It is 35 meters long by 20 meters wide and 8 meters high. It has no funerary structure in its internal structure, Around 4000 BC., a second cairn is built on the south facade of the first. It contains a passage dolmen. The floor of the chamber is made up of a large fallen and shattered stele-idol. Six of the eight orthostats delimiting the chamber contain engravings obtained by picketing with quartzite hammers which were found at the very foot of the slabs, Around 3000 BC., two other dolmens are built against the east facade. During the construction of the blockhouse, the first will be destroyed. The chamber of the second dolmen is square in shape. It is abundantly decorated with 12 slabs engraved with various patterns. Among the chevrons and serpentine lines, two patterns stand out a sun wheel or dial and a pair of feet. The two slabs leaning against the cairn, one in the shape of a horn, the other in the shape of a butt, were discovered during archaeological excavations. These are probably symbols of a bullfighting cult which were to adorn the facade of the cairn on either side of the portico. The two cairns and the dolmens are enclosed in a double wall. The whole structure measures 60 meters (198 feet) in length by 46 meters (152 feet) in width and 6 meters (20 feet)  in height.

The official Cairn de Petit Mont webpage: https://cairndepetitmont.com/index.php/en/welcome/

The Bay of Quiberon tourist office on the Cairn de Petit Mont: https://www.baiedequiberon.co.uk/to-see-to-do/culture-and-heritage/megaliths/cairn-of-petit-mont

The city of Arzon on transports: https://www.arzon.fr/venir-a-arzon/

Ok not much info on getting to the cairn de petit mont so will give you directions by car the way I always come here. You get on the expressway Nantes-Brest , the N165 locally call the voie express. Coming from Vannes, get off at the exit Sarzeau/Port de Crouesty/ Presqu’Île de Rhuys on the D780 road follow this to the end following signs for Sarzeau then Port de Crouesty. At the roundabout traffic circle before getting to the marina of Port de Crouesty, you get around and leave on the 4th exit on rue de Lenn Vihan ; the same route becomes route du petit mont ,continue, until the parking area, and walk about 300 meters to the Cairn de Petit Mont, voilà easy does it. Hope it helps

There you go folks, a bit more on the wonders of the town of Arzon and its megaliths like the Cairn de Petit Mont. Hope you enjoy Arzon and the Rhuys Peninsula in my beautiful Morbihan dept 56!!!

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