Paris1972-Versailles2003

And I bring you back north of Bretagne that is and pretty Perros Guirec in the Côtes d’Armor dept 22 and tell you more of the churches of Perros Guirec. I have written before but found me new older pictures not yet on my blog that should. Therefore, here is a bit more on the Saint Jacques Church  and the Chapelle Notre Dame de la Clarté of Perros Guirec. Of course, see previous posts on them for more history and description. Hope you enjoy this new text and picture post as I.

The Church of Saint-Jacques is in the heart of the city center, it strikes the visitor through its portal ogival adjoining a square granite tower of Ile Grande 14C, surmounted by a dome extended by a pyramidal spire in granite of the Clarté-Ploumanac’h ,17C. Raised on a hill from the end of the 11C, dedicated to Saint-Jacques (St James/Santiago), it sheltered pilgrims from the north en route to Santiago de Compostela.  A rare example of Breton Romanesque architecture, this 12C granite church is especially interesting for the sculptures of the porch and the historiated capitals of the nave. There would be represented, among other things, the fight of King Arthur and Eflam against the dragon who had taken up residence in the shelter of the rock of Roch Hirglas, near Lannion. The upper part of the church, from the center to the apse, is a 15C Gothic. Inside, the Romanesque nave has ten pillars with engraved or sculpted capitals. The statuary art and the furniture are also worthy of interest, such as the 17C altarpiece, animated by eighteen statuettes, the Stations of the Cross (1952) or the organ made in 1997. also a Christ to outrages and piety from the end of the 15C, and an exceptional painting representing Saint-Yves between the Rich and the Poor, dating from the Directory of the French revolution (1795-1799).

In the late 11C and early 12C, a rectangular chapel was erected on the hill by monks. It welcomed pilgrims from the north and across the Channel on their way to Compostela. It was dedicated to Saint-Jacques le Majeur. (St James the Major) The 12C portal, in pink sandstone, a tower and a bell tower will be added. In the 16C, two bays in the Breton Renaissance style were added and today constitute the choir of the church, the symbols of the Catholic religion are present everywhere on the capitals. It illuminates those that are remarkable such as the sacrifice of Abraham, the representation of the birth of the Virgin Mary and the birth of Christ announced by Saint-Guirec to the Celts, the doves representing the Eucharist, etc. There are, for example, statues, such as that of Saint-Yves, from the 18C, dressed in the costume of the time when he lived in the 13C. In the choir, the altarpiece contains the most important figures of the Christian world, in painted wood, on three levels.

The Catholic Parish of Perros Guirec on the church : https://perros-guirec.catholique.fr/L-eglise-Saint-Jacques-de-Perros-Guirec.html

The city of Perros Guirec on the Church Saint Jacques:https://perros-guirec.catholique.fr/L-eglise-Saint-Jacques-de-Perros-Guirec.html

The Perros Guirec tourist office on the Church St Jacques (James): http://tourisme.perros-guirec.com/decouvrez/patrimoine-religieux/eglise-saint-jacques.html

The Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-la-Clarté is a regional Gothic style building built in large and medium-sized pink granite from Saint-Samson and Clarté-Poumanac’h . The railing crowning the tower was not built until after 1594, with materials from the castle of Ploumanac’h, destroyed that year by royal troops during the troubles of the League. As for the spire, of hexagonal plan, it is probably not earlier than 1645. The paneling of the nave was redone and repainted in 1712. A square sacristy was added in 1828 by the bay of the aisle.

The Chapelle de Notre Dame de la Clarté or Our Lady of Clarity Chapel of Perros Guirec ! It was started in 1445. It is difficult to date the end of this Renaissance monument mixing Gothic and new architecture. This granite setting shelters the Stations of the Cross donated in 1931 by the master Maurice Denis,who spent his summers in Trestrignel, painted and offered a Stations of the Cross, completed and blessed in August 1931, but also many other marvels: just look up to admire the vault with delicate foliage, its sandpits, its swallow-holes. Notre-Dame de La Clarté is the patron saint of sailors, its 17C spire serves as a landmark for ships. Three ship models (ex-voto) suspended in front of the altar testify to the recognition of the sailors for the Virgin Salvatore. The statue of the Virgin is made of oak, it was crowned in 1946. This high spiritual place is one of the busiest in Brittany.

The local  tradition of the 15C tells us that a certain lord of Barac’h, in Louannec, nearly failed with his squadron near the Sept-Îles. The mist was so thick that the sailors ‘ death seemed inevitable. All on their knees made a vow to Notre-Dame: The commander would build her a chapel if she created a saving hole in the fog. The miracle took place and the Lord of Barac’h built the Chapelle de Notre-Dame de la Clarté.  The place takes on its full spiritual significance during the Grand Pardon on August 15, one of the most popular in Trégor with its bonfire, religious celebration and magnificent procession. On occasion, the pretty fountain, which was connected to a spring reputed to cure the eyes and prevent blindness, is cleaned and filled with water from the well adjoining the chapel. A moment of grace.

The Perros Guirec tourist office on the Chapel: http://tourisme.perros-guirec.com/fr/decouvrez/patrimoine-religieux/chapelle-notre-dame-de-la-clarte-et-souscription.html

The Friends of the Chapelle Notre Dame de la Clarté: http://amis.ndlaclarte.free.fr/

The Côtes d’Armor dept 22 tourist office on the Chapel:  https://www.cotesdarmor.com/fr/fiche/patrimoine-culturel/chapelle-notre-dame-de-la-clarte-perros-guirec_TFOPCUBRE0220HA638A/

There you go folks, this is a nice walkable town of Perros Guirec ,even better in summers. I am glad was able to tell you more about these wonderful  monuments of the Church St James, and the Notre Dame de la Clarté chapel of Perros Guirec. Again, hope you enjoy the post as I

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

The wonderful Finistére dept 29 of my lovely region of Bretagne. I take you to see the real countryside in the so called off the beaten path ways. I have written before on Landerneau and its churches but found me old new pictures for the blog and decided they should be in my blog as well. Follow me in my blog to see my road warrior ways around the region and do enjoy the post on the churches of Landerneau as I.

The Church of Saint-Houardon was the seat of the parish of Saint-Houardon in Landerneau until 2017, the date on which the deanery which stretches from Saint-Thonan to Rosnoën and from Logonna-Daoulas to Loc-Eguiner, twenty-two active steeples, not to mention Beuzit-Conogan, is erected in a single parish. A first Saint Houardon Church stood on the shore of the Élorn river . It was rebuilt in the 16C. In 1604, it is enlarged from a southern porch. In 1858, the Church was dismantled and reassembled in the city center, where it is seen today. The operation was financed by emperor Napoleon III.

It is perhaps, the richest of the Renaissance porches, the most beautiful and the most perfect of those that this school of the Renaissance built with numerous examples in the 16C and almost until the last quarter of the 17C. This porch of Landerneau, which bears the date of 1604 has a facade in a large masterful page, all in fine stone from Kersanton The entrance consists of a large arcade having as uprights two engaged columns, composed of four fluted drums separated by foliage rings, A very powerful spire, almost exaggerated in height, crowns this ensemble. On the first floor, it is square and then changes to the cylindrical shape to form the lantern which consists of two small superimposed domes.

Inside, the side walls are covered by twelve niches separated by fluted columns with Corinthian capitals. The doors are repeated to form the large arcade surrounding the tympanum, and in the last groove are nested with statuettes of Saints, Inside, the bays of the choir and some of those of the nave are decorated with paintings . At the altar in the north transept is a 17C Pieta remarkable for its style and expression.

The Church of Saint Thomas was in honor of Thomas Becket , bishop of Canterbury, died as martyr in 1170. The lords of Léon founders of the abbey of Daoulas and owners of Landerneau had a Church built in honor of St Thomas that became the priory of St Thomas since the middle of the 13C. The original Church was rebuilt in the end of the 16C and the tower founded the day of the Trinity in 1607. The Church was again renovated in 1849. The 3 level bell tower was also renovated in 1849. The front façade with the porch is decorated with statues in stone of St Francis de Assisi, St Eloi, and a Virgin in calvary on top of the entrance. Inside you see a nice altar of 1711,and a statue in wood of the Virgin lying down from the 15C.

The facade of the bell tower and the porch are decorated with kersanton stone statues. The west façade has three niches which house a Virgin of Mercy , Saint Francis of Assisi , and Saint Eloy, . At the entrance to the church, under the porch, is the statue of Saint Francis. To the left of the altar is the statue of Saint Thomas Becket and to the right that of Saint Blaise.  Many statues adorn the Saint Thomas Church , some of these are the Reclining Virgin (15C), statues of Saint John the Baptist (16C), Saint Sebastian (17C), Saint Charles Borromeo (17C), Saint Yves, Saint Barbe, Saint Joseph, Saint George, Saint Nicolas, the guardian angel (17C ), a group of Saint Anne, Virgin and Child (17C), a crucifix (15-16C), and an Ecce Homo.

The city of Landerneau on its heritage: https://www.landerneau.bzh/un-peu-dhistoire-2/

The Landerneau Daoulas tourist office on the heritage of Landerneau: https://www.tourisme-landerneau-daoulas.fr/landerneau/patrimoine-landerneau-pepites-decouvrir/

The SPREV safeguard of religious monuments on the St Thomas Church: http://www.sprev.org/centre-sprev/landerneau-eglise-saint-thomas-de-cantorbery/

There you go folks, enjoy it fully, wonderful town indeed glad I visited Landerneau in its wonderful monuments; part of the history of Brittany. Again, hope  you have enjoyed this additional post on the churches of Landerneau as I

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