And continuing on my road warrior mode this time back in old Bretagne ; but again taking you and me to a new town, Amazing my belle France, beauties all over, I had a long road trip and on the way back passed by this little town and decided to slow down even stop for a few souvenirs of my passage in my life’s travels, This is a bit on the Church Saint Pierre et Saint Paul of Derval !!
The town of Derval is located in the Loire-Atlantique department 44, in the Pays de la Loire region., It is on the north side of the Loire Atlantique about 50 km from Nantes and Rennes, 25 km from Châteaubriant and 40 km from Redon. It is about 127 km from my house.
The parish of Derval is mentioned several times in the 9C in the charters of the cartulary of Redon, but it is only in the 11C that the lords of Derval appear. The lords of Derval built a feudal castle. The lord of Derval Guillaume I, took part in 1203 in the States gathered in Vannes to avenge the death of Prince Arthur of Brittany and he was, in 1212, witness to the marriage contract of André de Vitré with Catherine of Brittany , On May 19, 1451 , Derval was erected into a barony by Duke Pierre II in favor of Jean de Malestroit, who had become lord of Derval in 1435. The barony passed to the Rieux family in 1482, Laval, following the marriage of Françoise de Rieux with François de Laval , Baron de Châteaubriant, then to that of the Montmorency-Condé by donation in 1539 by Jean de Laval to the Constable Anne de Montmorency.
The Church of Saint-Pierre and Saint-Paul (built between 1846 – 20C), This church succeeds a dilapidated sanctuary whose foundation predates the 11C. The primitive church of Derval, dedicated to Saint Denis, was first under the dependency of Saint Nicolas d’Angers, then in the 13C that of Saint Pierre de Bourgueuil. The choir of the current church dates from 1846 , and statue of Saint Sebastian and the Virgin date from 1846, the three others represent Saint Odile, the Curé of Ars and Joan of Arc. The stained glass windows represent Saint Louis, Marie Grignon de Montfort and Saint Bernard. Assumption of the Virgin, located at the back of the apse.
The painting entitled “The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian”, dates from the 19C. On July 26, 1749, the first stone of the master- church altar was put up. Built from 1846 on the site of a Romanesque church dating from the 14C, the church is furnished and decorated in neo-renaissance style and dedicated to the apostles Saint-Pierre and Saint-Paul. Four of its stained glass windows are the work of Albert Gsell, glass painter, author of the stained glass windows of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Montmartre (Paris).
The town of Derval on its heritage : http://www.derval.fr/fr/information/96890/patrimoine
The Châteaubriant tourist office on the church St Pierre of Derval : http://www.tourisme-chateaubriant.fr/decouvrir-la-region/le-patrimoine-religieux/eglise-saint-pierre-saint-paul/
There you go folks, another dandy find in my road warrior ways of my old Bretagne and my belle France, As this is now Pays de la Loire created in 1955. It always amaze me of the beauties of the road, This was a first time passing and nice looking little town, worth coming back for more. Hope you enjoy the post on the Church Saint Pierre et Saint Paul of Derval I!
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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