Paris1972-Versailles2003

And I bring you back to one of my favorite areas in all of my beautiful Morbihan. Not far from my house in fact about 15 minutes by car along the D768 direction Auray. I have written several posts on what to see in Auray, but need to do so again for this church. Therefore, here is more of the Church of Saint Sauveur in the district of Saint Goustan, town of Auray !!!

The Saint-Sauveur Church is sometimes referred to as Saint-Goustan Church. You need to climb hilly cobblestone steps from Place St Sauveur or come around the back by car and walk downhill. All worth it hugely beautiful area , me think.  The Saint-Sauveur Church dates from 1469. A freestone inscription located on the left pillar of the entrance recalls its foundation. From this period, only the portal remains. The rest of the building, destroyed during a fire in 1886, has been rebuilt.

The entrance facade has, in the gable, an ogival entrance whose carpentry is carved: two leaves with crosspieces carved with foliage; two transom panels with escutcheon and crown of thorns; gate or lower part treated in the Henri II or Louis XIII style. It is one of the largest and most important portal is that of Saint-Sauveur d’Auray. The portal of the Saint-Sauveur Church is 3.5 meters high, 2 meters wide, and weighs around 300 kg !

This Saint Sauveur Church was built in the shape of a Latin cross and in the ogival style. Inside there was a chapel dedicated to Saint Roch ,and a second dedicated to Saint-René. As for the side chapels, they changed patronage to the profile of the Blessed Virgin and Saint Joseph. However, there are still statues of Saint René and Saint Roch, accompanied by his dog.

All the furniture, in neo-Gothic style woodwork, dates from the reconstruction of the church. The choir has a beautiful altar located in front of a white tabernacle and is separated from the nave by a pretty balustrade of the same carved wood. The stained glass windows are of good quality, in particular those on the north aisle which represent the Virgin, very present in the church, Saint John and Christ on the cross under the name of Saint Saviour. You can admire the carved wooden furniture, in particular the pulpit where a statue of Saint-Goustan sits enthroned, and the enclosure of the Choir.

Although the church is under the name of Saint-Sauveur, the district is under the protection of Saint Goustan, the patron saint of sailors and fishermen. It is besides a fish in the hand that it is often represented. Of particular interest to be found in the church is a model ship from 1865. It is also worth noting, exposed in a corner, the mechanism of the old pendulum clock. Dating from 1903 and running until 1933, it was restored by volunteers in 2019.

See the Orion, a large model (the most imposing reported in Brittany) of a French warship with spur, sailing and steaming. This model, deposited in 1908, was restored in 1994-1995 by a model maker from Auray, who was awarded in the “ex-voto” category during the national competition for the heritage of the coasts of France organized at that time. by the Chasse-Marée. This 26 kg metal model served as a model for the battleship Magenta built at the Lorient arsenal. Freed from its glass case, it now lets itself drift with the winds, suspended under the chapel of the Saint-Sauveur Church.

The city of Auray on its heritage see Saint Goustan: https://www.auray.fr/Ma-ville/Patrimoine/Les-monuments-historiques

The local Bay of Quiberon tourist office on Saint Goustan, Auray: https://www.baiedequiberon.co.uk/the-port-of-saint-goustan-in-auray

The Bretagne region tourist board on Saint Goustan, Auray :  https://www.brittanytourism.com/destinations/the-10-destinations/southern-brittany-morbihan-gulf/auray-port-of-saint-goustan/

There you go folks, another dandy in my beautiful Morbihan breton! Enjoy it as we do and great place to vist for walks and eating out! This is Saint Goustan and anchor by the Saint Sauveur Church !!! Sublime !!!

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

Sometimes I like to repeat myself when the place is worth it and this is one of them, I used to lived not far from here in Brec’h when moved into the Morbihan breton dept 56 in 2011 and later purchase my house in Pluvigner in 2013. However, Auray has charm and we always come here and shop here too. I felled in love with Saint Goustan , a harbor district of Auray. I have several posts on the town ,which was my adminstrative central back then. Therefore, I just want to give you more, more of Saint Goustan ,the wonderful harbor from my latest stopover today. Hope you enjoy it as I.

The  picturesque Auray River is a ria that begins at Auray, empties into the Gulf of Morbihan and is navigable. The length of its water course is 56.3 km ! 

Always nostalgic, fun and educational to stop by the castle ruins, The first castle of Auray whose presence is mentioned in 1096 protects a ford on the Auray river, and the port of Saint-Goustan, Its moat was auctioned after 1546, following the decision of King François I  Its stones were given in 1558 by the king to the monks of the Sainte-Croix Abbey of Quimperlé, owner of the island of Belle-Île, to build the fort Palais in order to ensure its protection against the English pirates, the rest of the materials were auctioned in 1559.

The port of Saint-Goustan is a former fishing and trading port, located on the banks of the Auray river, which has become one of the districts of Auray. It takes its name from Saint Goustan, the patron saint of sailors and fishermen. The Quai Benjamin Franklin wharf measures 220 meters. Memories still echo on the granite slabs, recalling that the American  Benjamin Franklin docked here on December 4 ,1776 to meet Louis XVI ; asked the kingdom of France for help for US independance and got it ,and so a new nation was born, Le charmant port remonte au Moyen Âge et est encore aujourd’hui le centre historique de la ville d’Auray. De nombreux bâtiments datent des 15ème, 16ème et 17ème siècles. C’est également ici que vous trouverez un mélange de ruelles pavées et de restaurants où vous pourrez déguster une cuisine et des produits locaux.   The charming port dates back to the Middle Ages and is still today the historic center of the town of Auray. Many buildings date from the 15C, 16C and 17C. It is also here that you will find a mixture of cobbled streets and restaurants where you can taste local cuisine and products.

The Chapelle de Notre Dame de Lourdes or the Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel is a nice stop over, The documentation concerning it, whether written or iconographic, is very small , it is essentially constituted by the parish archives, the town of Auray documentation, as well as some old postcards. This place of worship dates from the second half of the 19C and has the particularity of having an altarpiece decorated with a natural rock formation. There is still some minor details to be done inside again,the reason of the door , but this is a loving care work by folks who care.  See my other post on inside photos.

The Place Saint-Sauveur square is typical and we love to walk it back and forth, sublime especially at nights, with its curved cobblestones is framed by opulent half-timbered and corbelled houses. The steep alleys, interspersed with steps, attack the district, lined with half-timbered facades. The residences of the 15C and 16C display a respectable allure, which in the evening slums in the rustle of the café terraces. Indeed sublime, recommended to all readers, visitors and would be residents.

The picturesque rue du Petit Port, with its wood-paned houses from the late middle ages and the beginning of modern times , Indeed some interesting doors for the blogger aficionado in some ! This street, which led to a second port, smaller than that of Place Saint-Sauveur, now has the largest number of half-timbered houses: nine out of the forty remaining in Auray. The gable of the house, located in front, consists of a ground floor in stone surmounted by two levels in wood and cob. The entrance door, placed laterally, opens onto two adjoining rooms. At the bottom, a spiral staircase allows the distribution of the floors. The house, built on a strip plot, is placed directly on the street, thus allowing commercial activity on the ground floor. The garden or courtyard is placed at the back. It is used for raising animals and growing vegetables.

The Rue Saint-René is the most picturesque and leads you to the heights of Saint-Goustan, up to the church. this pedestrianized street features cobbled steps with a handrail that offer lovely views of the harbor and beyond.

The Saint Goustan port also have excellent boating and river raft activities with good service provider,a wonderful time for the whole family. It has a small harbormaster office as well.  I saw one go out today on a floater boat , he is courageous with 7C (45 F). Here there is a kayak, sailing and scuba diving club. 

The city of Auray on its heritage see circuit Saint Goustan: https://www.auray.fr/Ma-ville/Patrimoine/Les-monuments-historiques

The local Bay of Quiberon tourist office on Saint Goustan : https://www.baiedequiberon.co.uk/the-port-of-saint-goustan-in-auray

There you go folks, Saint Goustan is a lovely small district nestled below port of the City of Auray ; sitting between the regional government powerhouses of Lorient and Vannes as well as down from my town of Pluvigner. Again, hope you enjoy this on more ,more of Saint Goustan ; a wonderful spot to visit and live, me think.

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