I have heard a while back about Hennebont as been a fortified city , so decided to go take a look. The town is 10 km from Lorient, 45 km from Vannes , and only 24 km from my house, and by now we have come here several times. In my new road warrior rides in my beautiful Morbihan, I came back to the Basilica Notre Dame du Paradis of Hennebont !! Hope the post will bring you over, worth it me think. Hope you enjoy the post as I.
There is a nice fortified town near me that is just a gem and sort of like an off the beaten path . This is an impressive basilica when entering the main square of town, and is right in front of you ! I have written before couple posts on it but will tell you a bit more with new pictures of the Basilica Notre Dame du Paradis or Our Lady of Paradise Basilica of Hennebont.
I have given you plenty of history from the basilica, tourist office, city, and my books. However, this time will give you the writings on the Friends of the Basilica Notre Dame du Paradis which I translated best possible.
In 1507, Anne, Queen of France and Duchess of Brittany, undertook a “Tro Breiz” (pilgrimage tour) to pray for the healing of her husband Louis XII. On the way to the basilica of Folgoët, she stops at Hennebont to pray in a small oratory located on the hill of Paradis. Following this visit, François Michart, a pious man and blacksmith by profession, decided to build a chapel in place of the oratory, worthy of the veneration he had for “Madame Marie”. In 1514, provided not without difficulty with all the authorizations, he undertook the construction of the chapel. The choir and the nave were completed in 1524, and the chapel was consecrated under the name of Notre-Dame de Paradis. François Michart died in 1527 and did not see the end of the construction, the tower and the bell tower were probably finished in 1530, or even a few years later.
In 1699, the plague struck Hennebont, the inhabitants put themselves under the protection of the Virgin Mary and vowed to offer her a solid silver statue which will be paraded in great procession, once a year through the city, decorated with flags. its colors blue and white. The French revolution interrupted the celebrations of the Feast of the Vow and in 1792, the statue seized by the revolutionaries was brought to Nantes to be melted down. Worship interrupted in the church did not resume until 1802 with the establishment of the Concordat.(peace of contenders the revolutionaries and chouans mostly),
In 1818, the inhabitants of Hennebont erected a new silvered bronze statue, which can be seen today in the Basilica Notre Dame du Paradis. The ceremonies of the Vow continues, This is why, in 1913, at the request of the bishop, and because of its notoriety and its influence, the pope decided to elevate the church to the rank of minor basilica.
The Friends of the Basilica Notre Dame du Paradis : https://lesamisdelabasiliquehennebont.fr/les-richesses-de-la-basilique-notre-dame-de-paradis-hennebont/
The city of Hennebont on its heritage : https://www.hennebont.bzh/decouvrir-hennebont/tourisme/les-incontournables/
The local Lorient South Brittany tourist office on Hennebont :https://www.lorientbretagnesudtourisme.fr/fr/immanquables/hennebont/
There you go folks, a dandy town of Hennebont and its wonderful beautiful Basilica Notre Dame du Paradis. A magical place and impressive church indeed, a must to see me think. See my other posts on nice Hennebont.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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