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 !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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