Paris1972-Versailles2003

This is another first by yours truly the road warrior, Well Bretagne has a bunch and I am working on it, We had time so we continue our ride into Saint-Pol-de-Léon , another beauty of the Finistère department,29 in my lovely Bretagne, in my belle France. The town of Saint Pol de Léon takes its current name from one of the legendary founder saints of Brittany in the 6C: Saint Pol Aurélien. Therefore, let me tell you about this wonderful monument, a must to see in town; the Saint Pol Aurélien Cathedral of Saint Pol de Léon !!!

Again, this will be long, as so much to tell you as far as history and architecture me concerns. I have pull info from my books but the load was such that I used a lot from Wikipedia. Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Saint-Pol-Aurélien Cathedral, Place du Parvis, 13-16C, Roman-Gothic, Robert Dallam organ (17C). The Saint-Paul-Aurélien Cathedral of Saint-Pol-de-Léon seat of the diocese of Léon, created in the 6C and abolished in 1801, A first cathedral was destroyed by the Danes in 875. A second, built in the Romanesque period, was damaged by Henry II Plantagenet in 1170. The construction of the current cathedral began in 1230, bearing resemblance to the great Norman cathedrals, from which it gets the architectural influence.

The church is dedicated to Saint Paul (Pol) Aurélien . According to the hagiography, the Life of Paul Aurélien, written in 884 by the monk Uurmonoc of the abbey of Landévenec, Paul Aurélien would be a monk who came from Wales to evangelize the territory of the Osismes around 525. He would have been the first bishop of the city, possibly an abbey-bishopric on the Irish model. The first church was destroyed in 875 by the Danes. A Romanesque church, probably unvaulted, was rebuilt on this site in the first half of the 12C. The construction of the current cathedral began around 1230, with the western facade. The construction site dragged on and lasted until the 14C.  In the nave, the south portal of the 13C was replaced in the 15C by another made of kersantite. Finally, between 1521 and 1539, the transept was redesigned by launching new vaults; during this period, the chapels of the southern ambulatory were also modified to allow a new layout of the space, After the troubles of the French revolutionary period, the 1801 concordat created in place of the two former dioceses of Cornouaille and Léon the single diocese of Quimper and Léon, which further included elements of the former dioceses of Vannes, Tréguier and even Dol. The Cathedral Saint-Pol-de-Léon retains the title of cathedral, but the main seat of the new diocese becomes the cathedral of Quimper. The old cathedral was built as a minor basilica of the Annunciation by Leo XIII in 1901.  The cathedral is not large: total length: 79 meters, length of transept: 43 meters, total width of nave: 16 meters, height of nave: 16 meters, and height of towers: 55 meters.

The Norman influence is particularly noticeable when observing the facade: it is built on the model of the two-tower harmonic facade , However, the Norman models are not followed in all: the top of the central part has a rectangular shape, Contrary to the Norman buildings which carry openwork triangular gables, In addition to the frontage and the western porch, one can enter the nave by a porch located at the south of the cathedral. Three bays long, it probably housed the statues of an apostolic college. Only the canopies of four of them remain. Added to this are the Caen stone tympanum and the granite vaults, which also date back to the 13C. Seen from the outside, the staggered chapels of the apse form a series of recesses on the lower level, under Anglo-Norman influence, which contrast sharply with the three glazed sections of the roundabout of the upper choir: this part inherits much more from the French Gothic architecture. The nave is built of limestone imported from Normandy, a rare and precious material in Brittany, which attests to the care taken in the building. It has three nerfs, separated by large arcades falling on piles composed of multiple columns. The transept is particularly elongated: each of the two arms has four bays. Its elevation comprises only two levels: large pointed arcades surmounted by large tall windows. It is essentially the transept of the Romanesque cathedral, brought up to date in the 14-15C, The chevet is built on a particularly original plan, which combines the ambulatory chevet with radiating chapels and the flat chevet with redents. The aim was probably to build, at least in part, on the foundations of the Romanesque cathedral. The cathedral houses a very rich glazed ensemble; however, most of the windows are modern, as the vast majority of old stained glass has disappeared. Only three stained glass windows still contain old stained glass; they are still largely recomposed.

The high altar was built in 1745 of sculpted in black marble on a rectangular plan, with a curved elevation, it is surmounted by a eucharistic suspension in the shape of a palm tree in painted and gilded wood, redone in the years 1820-1825. Two angels in painted and gilded wood frame the altar on either side. The choir also contains 66 wooden stalls carved in the 16C, divided into two rows of 17 and 16 stalls on one side and the other. The high stalls, located behind the low stalls, have a canopy back.  In addition to the high altar, the Saint Pol Aurélien Cathedral contains many altars with or without an altarpiece, Behind the high altar, a sculpted granite altar, probably erected in the 16C, bears on the facade the coat of arms held by angels of Hamon Barbier, canon of the cathedral and archdeacon of Quemedilly. It is surmounted by a wooden tabernacle in the form of a niche, which once stood on the main altar, in front of the palm tree. In the choir, another altar with an altarpiece, called the communal altar, bears the date of 1662, It once featured a gilded and painted niche, surmounted by a dome and an image of the sun carried by two angels. Behind the stalls, leaning against the south wall, is a granite altar built in the 15C. It is surmounted by a predella decorated with plant ornaments, and featuring a mutilated Virgin of Mercy (the head of Christ is missing) In the axial chapel is an altar dedicated to Saint Joseph. Built in the second half of the 19C, it belongs to neogothic art. It is composed of a rectangular altar whose antependium has three medallions representing the Virgin, Saint Joseph and the Child Jesus in bust, surmounted by the tabernacle embedded in the step and on the door of which appears the Good Shepherd. Two wings each with six canopied niches housing the statues of the Apostles frame the tabernacle (two statuettes are missing), In the second chapel to the east of the south transept, another neo-Gothic altarpiece bears the date 1854. into a rectangular altar placed on a step whose edge is delimited by a liturgical fence. Above the altar, the altarpiece serves as a frame for a 17C painting on canvas depicting Saint Francis handing over the scapular to a bishop, who may have been René de Rieux, bishop of Léon when the Minimes were installed in Saint-Pol-de-Léon in 1622. The painting, which comes from the chapel of the Minimes, destroyed in 1793,during the French revolution.

In the last chapel on the south side, an altar with an altarpiece is dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It was built in the second half of the 17C for the chapel of the Carmelite convent, then, following the destruction of this building in 1793, it was installed in 1811 in the north arm of the cathedral’s transept. It was moved again in 1973 and was then installed in its current location. It is composed of a rectangular carved wooden altar, placed at the top of two steps and decorated with an antependium divided by four twisted small columns into three curved panels. A tabernacle is embedded in the stands. The set is surmounted by an altarpiece with a false niche, also in carved wood, which houses a polychrome terracotta statue of the Virgin and Child. Four twisted columns carry a semicircular pediment decorated with two angels. On the south wall of the south aisle, an altar with an altarpiece is dedicated to Saint Anne. It was built in 1748, for the altar part, and decorated front of the altar in 1754. The altarpiece is contemporary with the altar. The set is made of wood with faux marble decor; the altar is a glazed chest and houses a statue of Saint Emilian.

In the north arm of the transept, leaning against the eastern wall, is an altar dedicated to Our Lady of Seven Sorrows. The altar is also known as the Altar of the Departed, as it was here that the Office of the Dead was held until the 1970s. Carved from oak wood, it was created in the second half of the 19C for the last chapel on the south aisle, where the altar of Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel is located today, then installed in its current location in 1970. The whole takes the form of a step that supports a rectangular altar, the tabernacle is framed by two panels in bas-reliefs representing the appearance of an angel to Saint Paul Aurélien and a scene involving a child, Saint Paul Aurélien and the discovery of a bell. A neo-Gothic dais surmounts the whole In the second chapel of the north transept, a neo-Gothic style altar was built in 1897 for the transfer of the relics of Saint Paul Aurélien. The altar houses a silver reliquary made by silversmith, which contains the relics of the cathedral’s patron saint. A statue of the saint is placed on this reliquary. The northeast chapel, which was once attributed to the Brotherhood of the Rosary, houses the altar of Our Lady of the Rosary. This altar was built in the second quarter of the 17C, then renovated in 1748 and again in 1752. It is composed of a step that carries a rectangular altar. Above the altar is a tabernacle whose door is framed by four twisted columns; above, the altarpiece has a painting representing the Virgin of the Rosary and Saint John the Baptist interceding for the inhabitants of the city, surrounded by medallions representing the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary. Around this painting, two niches framed by twisted columns that carry an entablature; a semicircular pediment crowns the central part. The whole is carved in wood and some parts are painted in faux marble. The cathedral also has an altar dedicated to the Sacred Heart, built in the 19C. it is composed of a rectangular altar, the antependium of which is decorated with statuettes among which the Virgin and her parents Anne and Joachim, as well as Saint Madeleine and a holy woman. Above the altar, the hexagonal tabernacle is surrounded by two bas-relief panels depicting the Samaritan woman at the well and Saint Anthony writing.

The Saint Pol Aurélien Cathedral is also home to many statues and statuettes such as the statues of Saint Apollonia, Saint Joseph, and Saint Christopher. In addition to the paintings that adorn the altarpieces, the cathedral houses various old paintings, The old Saint-Paul-Aurélien cathedral also houses several tombs. The oldest is a Romanesque sarcophagus (10-12C,,,,) in granite of Sainte-Catherine, A nave of the northern ambulatory houses a funerary ensemble nicknamed the “Shelves of the Night”. It is a set of thirty-five wooden boxes, in the shape of chapels surmounted by a cross. The front of the boxes reveals their contents through a cloverleaf or heart-shaped opening: each box protects a skull, identified by the name and date of death. The oldest of these items date back to the 16C, The cathedral houses a bronze bell whose origin may date back to the 6C, which would make it one of the oldest bells in France , The great organ was built between 1657 and 1660 with a laidout very close to that of King’s College, Cambridge. It is decorated with a black and white checkerboard, trompe-l’oeil, evoking a semi-circular courtyard framed by colonnades.

 The official Diocese of Quimper on Saint Pol de Léon : http://The official Diocese of Quimper on Saint Pol de Léon :

The city of Saint Pol de Léon on its must see monuments: https://www.saintpoldeleon.fr/4-monuments-emblematiques-de-saint

The Roscoff tourist office on St Pol de Léon : https://www.saintpoldeleon.fr/patrimoine

There you go folks, this is a dandy of the must see in Saint Pol de Léon. Impressive as you come into city center, wonderful, sublime, words cannot describe it fully, again a must to see. Another gem in my lovely Bretagne, and I am just beginning….Again ,hope you enjoy the post on the Saint Pol Aurélien Cathedral of Saint Pol de Léon!!!

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

This is another first by yours truly the road warrior, Well Bretagne has a bunch and I am working on it, We had time so we continue our ride into Saint-Pol-de-Léon , another beauty of the Finistère department,29 in my lovely Bretagne, in my belle France. The town of Saint Pol de Léon takes its current name from one of the legendary founder saints of Brittany in the 6C: Saint Pol Aurélien. Therefore, let me tell you about this wonderful monument, a must to see in town; the Notre Dame du Kreisker Chapel of Saint Pol de Léon !!

A bit long but worth it me think, I had to run to on site information, books, and many from wikipedia as the volume of information is huge. Hope you enjoy it as I.

The Notre-Dame du Kreisker Chapel, gateway to the episcopal city of Saint-Pol-de-Léon, is a major monument of Breton religious architecture, “The boldest piece of architecture he had ever seen” according to Vauban en route to Roscoff, Its 78 meters high granite bell tower, the highest Gothic monument in Brittany, is the prototype of many Breton up-to-date bell towers. The chapel is 36,5 long and 18,2 meterswide. The height, long underestimated by indirect measurements, was found in 1884 to be 78 meters, The pillars measure under the capital 8,5 meters, the choir under the keystone 11 meters, the tower up to the gallery, 40,2 meters, the spire without the cross,38 meters, the pinnacles, 16 meters. The gallery of the tower measures 8,8 meters on a side. My boys in front !!!

A collegiate church dedicated to the Marian cult, the Kreisker welcomed pilgrims from the Tro Breiz. The pride of the merchant corporations that financed and decorated it, it served as a city/town hall for the three orders and as a chapter house for the bourgeois brotherhoods of the 14-15-16C and then, on occasion, a psallette, as a chapel from 1680 to a seminary, renamed in 1784 Collège de Léon, before being ruined by the French revolution. The foundation of the chapel dates back to the 6C, at the time of the mission of Paul Aurélien. It was given the name Kreis-ker because it was located in the center of a nearby village, a suburb of the city. In 1277, a century after its dismemberment in 1180 by Henry II and his son Geoffroy Plantagenêt, and forty-two years after its lost war of independence, the county of Léon was annexed to Brittany by Duke Jean le Roux, who cleverly conferred its suzerainty in perpetuity on the Bishop of Leon.

The transept, the north elevation of the choir and the chevet date from the second half of the 14C. The perpendicular style to the strain of the tower and certain architectural elements clearly bear witness to the influence from across the English Channel. The western façade dates from this end of the 15C, Could the tower have been used from this time as a lookout point facing the sea and the surrounding lands, was a question asked by many historians, A medieval room located above the current northern porch, and prior to it, is an intact witness of a mysterious room now in ruins which could, at the end of the 14C, be a lodging for a captain . It has a fireplace, cupboards, latrines and offers a line of surveillance on the main street. Its access was through a door leading to the interior of the church. It overlooked a guard room which commanded the main gate of the city, the Porte Saint Guillaume, and of which only traces remain in particular an archer. It may later, in the 15C, serve as a prison, archive room, treasury or armory.

In the 15C, the tower was crowned with a floor intended for the bells and a fabulous octagonal spire confined by four storied bell towers. The bell tower, which rises 78 meters above the ground, is typically Norman , The work was completed between 1439 and 1472, Another masterpiece, the northern portal, was made at the same time , The southern porch is also from the 15C but has elements of modernity that its counterpart does not have. There sit the corporations of shipowners, merchants, craftsmen, sculptors, goldsmiths, tailors, who each have their altar rented to a chapelry, that is to say a foundation established by will by some wealthy and pious character for his salvation. The nave must also have served as a stock exchange. Like a shopping arcade, the two porches face each other and open out next to the Grand-Rue.(today rue Gén Leclerc)..The ND du Kreisker Chapel , also served as a place for ceremonies, monthly festivals and prayers specific to the many brotherhoods that have their headquarters there. , such as the Brotherhood of the Dead of Saint Paul founded on April 21, 1513, Several times destroyed by the Normans at the end of the High Middle Ages and then by the English during the War of Succession of Brittany, the church is from the Renaissance the subject to multiple repairs.

After the vicissitudes of the French revolution, the spire was saved from demolition by a decree signed in 1807 by Napoleon I at the camp of Friedland and restored by order of the Emperor because of its vital interest for navigation: its bell tower serves then better. In the 19C, the Notre Dame de Kreisker Chapel regained its school function and was assigned to the Collège du Léon, successor in 1784 to its namesake at the University of Paris, The ND de Kreisker Chapel is property of the city, and was renovated in 1993 but several years later, under the effect of humidity, the bottom of the interior walls crumbled several meters high and several centimeters deep. Since 1997, the association “Friends of the Kreisker Chapel”, 1 rue des Vieilles Ursulines, has organized exhibitions and oversees the maintenance and restoration of religious buildings in the city.

With the carved oak panels of the 17C in the high altar and the 17C Visitation Altarpiece visible inside the church, the north porch is a must-see. Flamboyant in style, it is much more worked than the south porch, contrary to the tradition of the time. It is surmounted by a triangular pediment where the coats of arms of the donors were once located, destroyed during the French revolution. At the very top stands a 15C Madonna and Child, which served as a model for the more modern one inside the church, which was a Marian shrine. On the entrance arcade, ten statuettes of patriarchs unfurl a scroll. The doors are surmounted by multiple foliage, statuettes, imaginary monsters and domestic animals… The southern porch, later, is less open but it opens onto a square, now a car park, which was cleared in 1888 of the hovels that encumbered it. It is surmounted by an openwork balcony called blessing. It is reached by a staircase that runs along the western facade; built in the 15C, it shows a tourmaline granite whose very fine grain is characteristic of the Sainte-Catherine site, western gap of the truce of Mespaul, in the Haut Leon. Its semicircular archivolt above the pointed arch prefigures the Renaissance and the Tudor style. It superimposes above the floor of the crossing of the transept four successive constructions, the pillars of the 13C, the tower rebuilt in the middle of the 14C, the actual belfry erected at the end of the 14C, the spire of the 15C. Its style is influenced by that of the great Norman cathedrals The bell tower rests entirely on four massive pillars of three meters on each side located inside the chapel, from which spring four lancet warheads, Also to be noted that the spire has four dormer windows on its north, east, south and west faces of a height similar to that of the pinnacles. Another peculiarity of the Kreisker is undoubtedly the caution shown by the architect with the narrow staircase of one hundred and sixty-nine steps leading to the bell tower, The tower is now silent but it did indeed house several bells.

The interior, which once had more than twenty private or domestic chapels, is now very bare. During the French revolution, the armored stained glass windows, the bells, the statues disappeared. In the south porch, the statues of Saint Christopher and Saint Jacques are vanished. In the middle of the 20C, these same stalls as well as the preaching pulpit, an anonymous work from the 18C, were dismantled. Restored, it was put back in place in December 1975. The Baroque altar of Notre-Dame is still visible inside, a 17C painting and an altarpiece dating from 1684, including the painting, a copy of a painting of the Albane preserved at the beginning of the 20C in Bordeaux, has for its subject the Visitation, and which was transferred there in 1807 from the chapel of the convent of the Minimes destroyed, because it threatened ruin, to serve as material for Kreisker repairs.

Damaged by pebbles from rascals of all periods, neglected by the descendants of their donees from the 18C, the stained glass windows of the fifty-six windows, because they are emblazoned and bear the signs of privileges, are, by municipal decree, systematically hammered in early 1794, during the French revolution. The Friends of Kreisker association signed the agreement with the city/town hall and the Heritage Foundation for a call for public subscription on the amount of the work in 2013. Inaugurated in 2014, the contemporary stained glass window colored in the mass suggests the divine mystery, highlighted by color symbolism: red for the Holy Spirit, yellow for joy, blue for purity. In 2015, the stained glass won the first departmental prize of the Ribbons of Heritage.

The city of Saint Pol de Léon on its main heritage :https://www.saintpoldeleon.fr/4-monuments-emblematiques-de-saint

The Roscoff tourist office on St Pol de Léon : https://www.saintpoldeleon.fr/patrimoine

There you go folks, one of the must see monuments in Saint Pol de Léon!  As said, we will be back,eventually, this is worth the detour me think. For now enjoy the Notre Dame du Kreisker Chapel!

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

This is another first by yours truly the road warrior. Well Bretagne has a bunch and I am working on it. We had time so we continue our ride into Saint-Pol-de-Léon , another beauty of the Finistère department,29 in my lovely Bretagne, in my belle France. The town of Saint Pol de Léon takes its current name from one of the legendary founder saints of Brittany in the 6C: Saint Pol Aurélien. Therefore, let me give you an introduction to Saint Pol de Léon !

A small city of character and seaside resort on the edge of the English Channel, Saint-Pol-de-Léon is a former episcopal city, historic capital of the bishopric of Léon. It is located on the northern coast of Brittany, bordering the English Channel, at the entrance to the bay of Morlaix facing Île Callot (see post), a little south of Roscoff. It has 13 km of coastline. After the N12 road Morlaix-Brest, the road D58 (expressway) connects Morlaix to the Pont de la Corde (Henvic). Saint-Pol is then about 5 km away, still on this road which bypasses it before going to Roscoff. Saint-Pol-de-Léon is 550 km from Paris, 200 km from Rennes and 60 km from Brest. The road D788 connects Saint-Pol-de-Léon to Brest and Quimper. It is 159 km from my house or about 2 hrs 10 min !!

The city of Saint Pol de Léon, according to the oldest writings, was surrounded by Gallo-Roman fortifications. The Osismii Gauls fought with the Veneti against the Roman invasion. The remains discovered attest to a Roman military presence (medals from Caesar from 254 to 310, from Valerian to Maximinus) in the 3rd century (Roman legion Pagus Legionensi). Around 900, the mythical Count Even founded the town of Lesneven. From this time, the counts of Léon act under the orders of the dukes of Brittany. During the Hundred Years War, the battle of Saint-Pol-de-Léon in 1346 was an episode of the War of the Succession of Brittany, and the town was partly burned. It was looted in 1592 during the League Wars by La Fontenelle. Disputed by the English and the French in the wars of Brittany, Saint-Pol-de-Léon played a more passive than active role in all these events. During the French revolution, the town temporarily bears the names of Mont-Frimaire and Port-Pol. The revolution brings the Chouannerie to the region, a civil war which opposes Republicans and Royalists, The small town is one of the major centers of the 1793 insurrection (March 19 and 23) but is held in check by the Republicans and pays a heavy repression Saint-Pol-de-Léon lost a lot as a result of the French revolution. In 1927, the Corde bridge was built, linking the city to Carantec by road, Among the massacres and abuses committed by the Nazis in France during WWII as well as by Russian auxiliaries, those committed in Saint -Pol-de-Léon at the end of June 1944 and on August 4 and 5, 1944 caused a total of 44 deaths, On August 4, 1944, in the morning, the departure of the Nazis Wehrmacht garrison was celebrated by the population and French and American flags were hoisted on the towers of the cathedral !

Saint-Pol-de-Léon is recognized as a “historic city” by the Association of Cities of Art and History, and the country of Morlaix ​​labeled Cities and Countries of Art and History. Showcasing the architecture that developed in late 16-17C in Brittany, it also retains 13C Gothic art that is rarer in the region, such as the St Pol Aurélien Cathedral nave and the 15C ND de Kreisker Chapel spire, completely unique in Brittany, and even in the whole of France. Endowed with numerous chapels and crosses, the city also presents important private constructions, between castles, mansions and private houses such as those of the Grand Rue 17C house with turret and corbelling, 15C half-timbered house covered with slates, etc.).

One of the nice monuments to see here are the old Maison Probendales at the 4 place du petit cloître and rue de la rive (now exhibition events place) and another one at 2 rue du Gén Leclerc  (former Hôtel de Kermenguy) , inspired by the new decorations disseminated at the beginning of the 17C, in particular the corner watchtower.  it was inspired by the new decorations disseminated at the beginning of the 17C, notably its remarkable corner watchtower reminiscent of those of Roscoff. It housed many businesses. The neighboring houses are from the 17C. The house has housed many businesses.

Also, the Lycée privé Notre Dame du Kreisker chapel now under renovation. The building was built in 1708 by Monseigneur de La Bourdonnaye to house the Major Seminary of Léon run by the Lazarists. The Ursuline nuns, who had been living in Saint-Pol-de-Léon since 1629, bought the building and set up their convent there in 1807. They will add the chapel of the Holy Family to it in 1812. For a century, they will give instruction to the female youth of Saint-Pol-de-Léon and Léon. They will be expelled, in application of the laws against religious congregations from 1901 to 1904, and will take the path of exile in Belgium where many of their students will follow them. Succeeding the Collège de Léon, also closed for the same reasons, the Institution Notre-Dame du Kreisker, which has now become a private Catholic school, took possession of the premises and started its first school year there on January 5, 1911. Until around the 1970s, almost all of the teaching staff was composed of priests.

Other things to see here me think are: Saint-Joseph Chapel, rue de la Rive, 1846, 33-meter bell tower. It is the chapel of the retirement home for the priests of the diocese. Saint-Pierre Church, rue du Port, 15C nave, former Trevial ​​church, the stones of the tower of which would have been reputed to come from a building built by the Celts according to the inscriptions of Armorican or Celtic characters, The Episcopal Palace (completed in 1706 and enlarged in 1750). Became City Hall during the French revolution, it contains a monumental staircase decorated with some paintings from the Louvre Museum. ,

The city of Saint Pol de Léon on its main heritage :https://www.saintpoldeleon.fr/4-monumentemblematiques-de-saint

The Roscoff tourist office on Saint Pol de Léon : https://www.roscoff-tourisme.com/en/discover/6-destinations/saint-pol-de-leon/welcome-to-saint-pol-de-leon/

There you go folks, a dandy of a town, and glad finally there, already looking forward to be back, eventually. See my next posts on the better monuments of Saint Pol de Léon in my blog. Hope you enjoy this post as I

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