Let me take you to another wonderful off the beaten path site in my lovely Bretagne. However, the locals know it well and we love it even the market. I have enjoyed the visits to La Roche Maurice in the Finistére dept 29, and I am amazed of the monuments of great architecture and historical value here. Let me update this older post on the Church Parroquial enclosure of St Yves, and the Château in La Roche Maurice. Of course, I have other posts on these but this post will be with additional new pictures in my blog, Hope you enjoy it as I.
The parish enclosure of La Roche Maurice consists of a modest Calvary but an ossuary and a church remarkably characteristic of the Leonardo Renaissance. I am translating from the City page on both as already plenty of history from my library in other posts.
First, the Calvary is formed by three crosses representing the crucified Christ surrounded by two thieves in Henry II costume. The current parish church has replaced a 14C medieval chapel dedicated to Saint-Yves . It was built in the 16C. It was first the trevial church of Ploudiry until 1791. The Rohans ceded the land for free and paid numerous subsidies to help rebuild the church, which lasted nearly half a century. Indeed, the stained glass window in the apse dates from 1589; the south portal would be from 1550, the bell tower, 60 meters high, would be from 1589. It is characteristic of the Leonardo Renaissance with its double gallery and its double chamber of bells. The south portal consists of two twin doors, framed by a Flamboyant Renaissance arcade, in which are nestled the twelve apostles. The stained glass window represents in twenty-one paintings the essential scenes of the passion of Christ. The tympanum is divided into fourteen bellows with the coats of arms of the Rohans and their allies. The work was influenced by Flemish art. Made in 1539, the stained glass was removed and cleaned in 1715; the coat of arms broken during the French revolution was repaired in 1870. Revised in 1937, it was removed and saved from Nazis looting in 1942. It was reassembled from July 11 to 20, 1950 after being stored in Valy-Névez. It is framed on the left by the statue of Notre-Dame de Bon-Secours and on the right by the polychrome group of Saint-Yves between the rich and the poor.
The rood screen of La Roche Maurice is one of the most beautiful in Brittany. Executed around 1570-1580, in polychrome sculpted oak, it looks like a bridge connecting the two large piers that delimited the choir. This gallery is accessed by a staircase in the right pier. On panels of the gallery, many characters: on the side of the heart, twelve statues in low relief; on the side of the nave, twelve other statues in the round. Above the rood screen stands Christ on the cross, surrounded by the Virgin and Saint John, The external ossuary is a success of the Leonardo Renaissance. The base of this side façade bears a gallery of seven characters, some of which were hammered during the French revolution, symbolizing the various social categories dependent on death, represented at the corner of the southern buttress by a skeleton (the ankou) brandishing a dart and proclaiming: “I kill you all”. At the door of the south gable, we also find another Latin inscription, dated 1640: “Remember, man, that you are only dust”.
The city of La Roche Maurice on the parroquial enclosure: https://larochemaurice.fr/leglise-saint-yves-et-lenclos-paroissial/
The local Landerneau-Daoulas tourist office on the parroquial enclosure : https://www.tourisme-landerneau-daoulas.fr/sortir-bouger/activites-culturelles-et-patrimoine/patrimoine-culturel/enclos-paroissial-de-la-roche-maurice-5072
The Château de Roc’h Morvan clinging to its rocky outcrop overlooking the Elorn river by 70 meters: it was in the 11C that the viscount of Cornouaille, Morvan, erected it for its strategic defensive position. The medieval castle then passed into the hands of the family of the viscounts of Léon, then that of Rohan, before serving as a prison. It even becomes a quarry for the reconstruction of the town! Find out more about the site at the Heritage House, located at the foot of the castle. You will find some objects from the excavations. Interpretation panels are also installed to guide you in the discovery of this monument with a square dungeon that few buildings of this type have preserved in Brittany.
The City of La Roche Maurice on the castle : https://larochemaurice.fr/chateau/
The local Landerneau Daoulas tourist office on the Roc’h Morvan castle: https://www.tourisme-landerneau-daoulas.fr/sortir-bouger/activites-culturelles-et-patrimoine/patrimoine-culturel/le-chateau-de-roch-morvan-un-site-fortifie-tout-en-hauteur-6941
And of course, left out from previous posts on La Roche Maurice but we need to eat and so we did grandly at the Auberge du Vieux Château,Rare but will include this personal picture here for reference to the restaurant, It is me and my oldest son, For generations, families from Landerneau and the surrounding area have flocked to the table at the Auberge du Vieux Château, Sadly , I read in local newspaper ,the owners of 33 years are retiring tired of the pandemic covid and the resto is for sale, This was a memorable lunch,indeed. To be continue…
The official Auberge du Vieux Château: http://aubergeduvieuxchateau.fr/
The RestaurantGuru reviews on the Auberge du Vieux Château: https://restaurantguru.com/Auberge-du-Vieux-Chateau-La-Roche-Maurice
There you go folks, another dandy in my lovely Bretagne. These are great architecture and history of the medieval period with nice views , worth the detour to La Roche Maurice to see the Château de Roc’h Morvan and the Church Parroquial Enclosure of St Yves. Hope you enjoy the post as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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