Yes indeed, in my road warrior mode again in my backyard of the Morbihan breton! And voilà new towns even passed by close never in until now! It goes without saying my previous comments, will need a lifetime to see them all just in my beautiful Morbihan. Today I give you Tréhorenteuc !!
The town of Tréhorenteuc is located in the beautiful department 56 of Morbihan, in the lovely region of Bretagne and on the border with Ille-et-Vilaine dept 35. it is the second smallest town in the Morbihan ! Tréhorenteuc was one of the first towns to keep a parish register, from 1573, to notify the burials. After the 1940s, the history of Tréhorenteuc mingles with the Arthurian legend.
The Val sans retour is a natural extension of the forest massif of Paimpont, whose entrance is located near Tréhorenteuc. The Val sans retour, administratively located in the department of Ille-et-Vilaine 35 , has various points of interest such as the creation of the l’Arbre d’Or (golden tree), the megalithic site known as Hotié de Viviane or Tomb of the Druids, the seat of Merlin or Roche Dentélée ,a rock sculpted by erosion. This valley of no returns or Val sans retour is a legendary place of the Arthurian cycle in the forest of Brocéliande, as well as a renowned site in central Brittany, in the forest administratively named the forest of Paimpont. The legend attached to it, recounted in the Lancelot-Grail (early 13C), circulated orally before the end of the 12C. The fairy Morgana experiences a romantic disappointment with the knight Guyomard , who rejects her at the instigation of Queen Guinevere. She studies magic with Merlin then, in retaliation, creates the Valley of No Return in the forest of Brocéliande to lock up the “false lovers”, unfaithful knights in love. After seventeen years, Morgana is foiled by Lancelot du Lac, loyal to Guinevere, who frees 253 knights. This account constitutes Morgana’s most striking action against the Arthurian chivalry, and a reversal of male and female roles as conceived in medieval literature. This is a vast area and most on foot, we were handicap with my Dad on wheelchair but worth the trip anyway.
The Arbre d’Or consists of a chestnut tree trunk covered with 5,000 gold leaves (equivalent to 40 g of gold). This symbolic tree in the heart of an area of small raised stones, is surrounded by five other trees, blackened with its cutout in the shape of deer antlers, this tree symbolizes the rebirth and immortality of the forest and nature, but also “the human stupidity often at the origin of natural disasters”. It quickly became a popular attraction Merlin’s seat is also called the “serrated rock”. It is an eroded rock on the moor which overlooks the Val sans retour. According to local legend, the enchanter Merlin came to sit there to meditate as well as to watch over the valley of no return. The L’hotié de Viviane located near Paimpont (35), is also called “Tomb of the Druids”. It is a megalith, dated from 3355 to 2890 BC. , where the fairy Viviane would have taken refuge It would be in this stone castle that the fairy would keep Merlin chained, on the hill of Val-sans-Retour, in the middle of woods and rocks.
Less than a place of worship, the Sainte-Onenne Church became a cultural center, where today one can admire a beautiful mosaic, the ” White Stag” made in 1955 and a large stained glass window featuring major elements of Arthurian legend. The Sainte-Onenne Church or Grail Chapel has the first so-called “Round Table” stained glass window made and installed in 1943, In this church, the stained glass windows, paintings and mosaic of the Cerf blanc au collier d’or represent ; the haloed deer represents Christ, and the four lions, the four gospels. We find these elements in an episode of the famous Quest for the Grail. For this, it finds a common core between these three worlds, which is the Grail. The latter is frequently depicted, which is why the church is also called the Grail Chapel. It is dedicated to Saint Onenne. Anne de Bretagne donated a banner representing Sainte Onenne in 1506. The parish building was rebuilt in 1516, You see a statue of Notre-Dame du Rosaire, which dates from the 18C , and a statue of Saint John the Baptist, dating from the 15C.
The manor of Rues-Neuves or Château de Gerwan whose name can be associated with that of a Breton prince of the 9C. This mansion is linked to several legends of the Brocéliande forest and served as the setting for a TV movie , This building has a double cart and pedestrian gate. It is also accosted by a polygonal staircase turret. A loggia gives access to the courtyard. In this courtyard, a beautiful 16C molded door blends in with the farm buildings.
We were lucky to arrive when a market and fleas were going on and nice ambiance, just my Morbihan!
The Broceliande vacances tourist board on Trehorenteuc : https://www.broceliande-vacances.com/en/discover/our-must-haves/our-towns-and-villages-of-character/trehorenteuc/
The Broceliande tourist office on the church of the Graal : https://tourisme-broceliande.bzh/activite/leglise-du-graal/
The Brocéliande local tourist office on its heritage: https://tourisme-broceliande.bzh/en/lieu_categorie/sites-legendaires/
There you go folks, another dandy road warrior trip by yours truly, this time with my boys and Dad, Rex our dog stayed home. We are looking forward to discover more beauties in my beautiful Morbihan in the future, the potential site is awesome! This is tranquil in land Tréhorenteuc !! Hope you enjoy the post on the new find as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 