Paris1972-Versailles2003

In my newest road warrior trips I came back to a small quant town off the  N24 highway to the D8 road,only 77 km from my house,  and I came back to the town of Ruffiac and its Church of St Peter and St Paul. The town of  Ruffiac is located in my beautiful  Morbihan department 56, in my lovely region of Bretagne. Sit back and enjoy the real French countryside!

The Church Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul b.1920-1921. A primitive church is mentioned from 830 in Ruffiac, rebuilt in the 12C, enlarged in the 16C, restored in the 18C and in the 19C. The new church was rebuilt in 1920. Of the Romanesque construction, there remains a semicircular portal, decorated with small columns with simple capitals, a small window very splayed in the wall of the nave, and flat buttresses not protruding. The triumphal arch which separates the choir from the nave, is from the 15C. All the rest of the building has been redone in modern times. In 1956, the old bell tower built in 1920 was knocked down. On a stained glass window are represented the arms of the families of La Bourdonnaye and La Rués. The liturgical ornaments, offered by the Marquis de La Bourdonnaye, date from 1751.

The parish Church Saint Peter and Saint Paul houses the 15C granite baptismal font as well as some interesting statues from the earlier church. An expressive Christ on the cross, a naïve statuette of a bishop, and a well-crafted Saint Anne illustrate the 17C. The very large statue of Saint Paul, of Baroque inspiration, could have been made in the 18C or 19C. As for the statues of Saint Peter and the Virgin and Child, of skilful execution and classical inspiration, they date from the 19C. In a display case, a white ornament with the matching cope, made in the 17C and offered to the parish in the middle of the 18C, as well as chalices from the 17C, are on display.

The city of Ruffiac on its heritage, do not know why does not list the church! https://ruffiac.fr/accueil_ruffiac/decouvrir_ruffiac/patrimoine

There you go folks, one of the highlights of my road warrior incursions into the Breton territory is that each time you find something to make you come back for more and this is the case of Ruffiac and its Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Church. Hope you enjoy the post as I.

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

And we go on, on an endless tour of my beautiful Morbihan dept 56 of the region of Bretagne my belle France. The views, sights are indeed endless here and I am doing my best to introduce you to the off the beaten paths of my Brittany. I have written before and back on my road warrior rides we came back to the Notre Dame Church of  La Chapelle Caro! Another small beauty, now merged with several small towns into the official town of Val d’Oust. I rather like the old name better !

La Chapelle Caro takes its name from the de la Chapelle family. It is a dismemberment of the original parish of Ploërmel. It was nicknamed “La Basse-Chapelle” or “La Chapelle-sous-Ploërmel”. After having belonged to the great lordship of Porhoët, La Chapelle-Caro entered the ducal domain in 1168 , and it was erected as a viscountcy in 1576, a county in the 17C, and united with the lordship of Crévy in 1630. Later was a former truce of Ploërmel until 1802, when La Chapelle became a parish in its own right. From January 2016 it has become part of the new town of Val d’Oust.

However, as much as the name the interesting thing to see here is the Church of Notre Dame, built in 1868 to replace a former treviale church and parish from the 17C, reworked in 1711. The present Church is in the shape of a Latin cross. A square tower is located at the bottom of the nave. The stained glass windows are post–1870. The Church houses a statue of saint Fiacre 16C. A beautiful early 16C processional cross, silver plated on solid wood, is kept in the sacristy; On one side is Christ, with the Gothic legend Inri, and, in the quatrefoils, Saints with their names written in Gothic on phylacteries; on the reverse we see the monogram of Jesus, and at the ends the symbols of the Evangelists.The façade of the Church was restored in 2007 as well as the stained glass windows.

Located at the foot of the Notre-Dame Church, there is a yew now measuring more than 7 meters in circumference. It is assumed that it was planted during the construction of the old church in the 14C, which makes it one of the oldest in Morbihan. It is also classified among the remarkable trees of Brittany.  Inside you have on one side Christ, with the Gothic legend Inri, and, in the quatrefoils, Saints with their names written in Gothic on phylacteries; on the reverse we see the monogram of Jesus, and at the ends the symbols of the Evangelists. Hard to get in as most of the time is closed due to vandalism unfortunately. Yes even in small country towns!

The new city of Val d’Oust on its heritage including the above church: https://www.mairie-valdoust.fr/les-monuments

There you go folks again a wonderful new town of Val d’Oust in the old La Chapelle Caro an off the beaten paths town of my beautiful Morbihan. We criss cross the department 56 and region to show you not only France is the most visited country in the world, but Brittany is the third most visited region of France! Enjoy the unique Notre Dame Church of the former town of La Chapelle Caro !

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

I am coming back to these wonderful small towns of my beautiful Morbihan and lovely Bretagne ; hoping to entice you to come and take a look to my corner of the world and you too will know why I am so enthusiastic about it. On my new road warrior escapade let me tell you a bit more on Plouhinec and its Church Notre Dame de Grâce.

The town of Plouhinec is located between the Etel estuary on 17 km long and the small sea of Gâvres on 5 km. To the south the 8 km of beach overlooking the ocean are part of the largest dune cordon of Brittany which stretches from the Pointe de Gâvres to the Fort Penthièvre on the town of Saint-Pierre-Quiberon. Plouhinec is 15 km from Lorient, 35 km from Vannes, the capital of Morbihan, and 147 km from Rennes.  It is about 25 km from my house on the D33/D9/D158 road.

What took me here in city center was to see and show you another gem off the beaten path.  The Church of Notre-Dame de Grâce or Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul ,it is an imposing church of néo gothic style where the high silhouette dominates the houses of the village.The church was built from 1870 to 1873. The construction of the current church caused the disappearance around 1869 of the old church of the 12C and 14C, the choir, dates from 1891. The choir contains an altar, a tabernacle, skylights, stalls and woodwork. The decor and furniture is Gothic-inspired.

The parish Church Notre Dame de Grâce, originally dedicated perhaps to Saint Winoch, has been, since the 16C at least, under the patronage of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The church, which had just disappeared, had the shape of a Latin cross, with two low sides, and belonged to several eras. The west portal offered the date of 1630 and presented three escutcheons: in the middle, that of the king; on the gospel side, that of the Prince of Guémené, Viscount of Plouhinec; on the side of the epistle, that of Lopriac, lord of Béringue. The nave, the only old part, was 20 meters long and 11 meters wide, including the side aisles. The arcades, six in number on each side, were semi-circular, others pointed, supported on short, massive pillars, with no other ornamentation than an abacus.

The city of Plouhinec on its heritage : https://www.plouhinec.com/decouvrir/visites-activites/patrimoine.html

There you go folks another nice town, Plouhinec in my beautiful Morbihan. Its a treat and lucky to have found it thanks to my dear late wife Martine decision to cut short my foreign trips away from home for longer periods. So I did and it has been a thrill to be here, only sadden by the fact she is no longer with me due to the mean cancer. One more reason to remember her. On the post, hope you enjoy it as I.

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