And I like to tell you this time about another first visit to a nice town call Rostrenen in the Côtes d’Armor dept 22 of my lovely Bretagne! This was on another road warrior trip by yours truly and we love it. The town of Rostrenen is located 50 km from Saint-Brieuc, 54 km from Lorient, 64 km from Quimper and 122 km from Rennes. The RN 164 crosses the town and bypasses the main agglomeration to the north. Let me tell you about the Notre Dame du Roncier Collegiate Church of Rostrenen !!
The Notre-Dame-du-Roncier Collegiate Church, is an old 13C church with three 18C altarpieces; Originally, the church of Rostrenen was only the lordship chapel of the castle of the barons of Rostrenen, In 1300, discovery of the bust of Notre-Dame, and the chapel becomes too small to accommodate the many pilgrims. In honor of Notre-Dame, it was then decided to build a new, larger church. Referring to the arms in alliance of Jeanne de Rostrenen and Alain VII viscount of Rohan, historians place the construction of the church in the first half of the 14C, more precisely between 1320 and 1352, In 1483, following a bull of the Pope Sixtus IV , the church becomes Collegiate.
The Notre Dame du Roncier Collegiate Church is in the shape of a Latin cross, comprising an outer tower, a nave with low sides of four bays, one of which is smaller, a transept and an extremely elongated choir with a rounded apse surrounded by a sacristy. To the right of the last bay of the lower south side of the nave opens a large porch and, opposite, on the lower north side, a chapel. The transept, with the exception of the gables of the wings,(17C), dates back to the first years of the 14C, as does the lower part of the south porch. The primitive church was completed in the first half of the 14C as indicated by the arms in alliance of Rohan and Rostrenen, arms of Alain de Rohan, husband in 1320 of Jehanne de Rostren and died in 1352.
The upper part of the south porch, in Renaissance style, appears to be from the 16C although bearing the date of 1749, The lower part of the tower dates from the first years of the 17C, The very elongated choir dates from the beginning of the 18C, Finally, the nave, with its aisles and the north chapel, were refurbished in 1888, in the style of the 13C, The bell chamber currently houses three large bells and two small ones. The lower part of the south porch of Notre-Dame de Rostrenen dates from the 14C and has two arcades. The upper part was remodeled in the 16c and 18C, The interior of the South porch (14C to 17C) has twelve niches housing twelve polychrome wooden statues from 1880. The old statues having been destroyed during the French revolution with the exception of two transported at the Chapel of Saint-Jacques. The current nave as well as the aisles and the baptismal font date from 1888. The choir was built in 1716 , and on February 3, 1716, the workers discovered in a lordship vault, a lead coffin, and, a whole body having his hair, his beard and even his fingernails, buried since 1488. It was the body of Pierre IX, Baron de Rostrenen, founder of the collegiate church, who died in the battle of Saint Aubin du Cormier, delivered on July 18, 1488.
The three altarpieces date from the 1740s , The altarpiece of the High Altar, leaning against the choir, is slightly curvilinear in shape and in the Baroque style. The Sainte Anne altar, The front of the altar is decorated with the Sacred Heart surrounded by four sculpted panels wit the three theological virtues such as Faith, Hope and Charity. The central niche houses a statue of Saint Anne. The painting represents the Sacred Heart , On the right is the statue of Saint Yves, and on the left, the statue of Saint Catherine. Both surmounted by medallions representing the evangelists Matthew and John. The whole altarpiece is surmounted by a niche housing a statue of Saint Joachim, husband of Saint Anne. The Notre Dame altar. The altar was built in 1865 to display the reliquary statue, in plaster, of Saint Valentine, martyr of the first centuries. The relics of the Saint, brought back from the catacombs of Rome by the Count of Saisy, are inside the recumbent statue. On the central body of the Notre-Dame altarpiece, painting of the Assumption, This painting presents the Virgin carried to heaven by two angels. On the right is the statue of Saint Clotilde (wife of Clovis), and on the left, Saint Louis. Both surmounted by medallions representing the evangelists Mark and Luke. On the site of the tabernacle, sits the bust of Notre Dame crowned on July 2, 1900. The entire altarpiece is surmounted by a niche housing a statue of Saint Joseph.
The organs are mentioned from the 17C, The stained glass windows, delivered on July 15, 1867 , The Notre Dame du Roncier Collegiate Church has many banners , Note the banner of Notre-Dame, offered during the coronation ceremonies of July 2, 1900 , The golden crown of the Virgin dates from 1900, The rest of the porch, decorated with twelve Renaissance niches, crowned with shells and separated by pilasters decorated with geometric ornaments, dates from the 16C. The tower bears the dates of 1676-1678. The gables of the transept, the choir and the sacristy date back to the same period. The nave and the aisles were redone in 1888.
The Côtes d’Armor dept 22 tourist office on the Collegiale Notre Dame du Roncier : https://www.cotesdarmor.com/fr/fiche/patrimoine-culturel/collegiale-notre-dame-du-roncier-rostrenen_TFOPCUBRE022FS0007K/
The town of Rostrenen on its history/heritage : https://www.rostrenen.fr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=221&Itemid=2689
There you go folks, another wonder of our beautiful Bretagne in seldom seen Côtes d’Armor up north. A nice first visit to Rostrenen and glad to have visited it. Do see the Notre Dame du Roncier Collegiate Church, wonderful find. Hope you have enjoy the post as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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