I am back in my beautiful Morbihan dept 56 of my lovely region of Bretagne and in my belle France. And as usual , with several posts on this wonderful town I need to give you a look of the streets of Rochefort en Terre !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
For reference, Rochefort-en-Terre is one of the towns of character and history , as in French « Petite Cité de Caractère », it is ,also , a Village Fleuri four flowers rating! or a flower town of France, and Les Plus Beaux Villages de France or the most beautiful towns of France designation. All worth it. During a previous year TV show for choosing the most preferred town of the French it was chosen as well the Le Village préférés des Français or the favorite town of the French on survey by TV station France 2 announced by Stéphane Bern in 2016.
As said we come here often and close to our home , 71 km or about 44 km , The Christmas where it has one of the best if not the best Christmas market in the west of France , me think. A brief on the Rochefort en Terre tells you it is surrounded by the towns of Pluherlin and Malansac. The city is crossed by the D 777 which runs westward towards Questembert and east towards La Gacilly, a deviation, the D 777a that allows to bypass the city by the north. In the southeast, the road D 21 connects Rochefort-en-Terre to Malansac, Should be a wonderful visit by all indeed !
Now the some of the streets we have enjoyed over time are :
From the Place Saint-Michel to the castle ,see houses from the 16C to 18C, old mansions, and half-timbered houses, A sublime walk indeed.
The houses around Place du Puits date from the 14C to the 18C. Note the carved scales above the door near the well: this building housed the seigneurial court. On this square was the first Halle or Market in the city; it is also the supposed location of the installation of the guillotine used in 1793 for the execution of three counter-revolutionary convicts.
The strollers, from the Place Saint-Michel to the rue du Porte Cadre, while contemplating the panorama of the famous rigre, will not forget to taste the “new town” and its proud flowered dwellings which house stalls, workshops, master craftsmen, trades art, tables and hostelry.
And many others of course, do not have photos of all of them…! However, there is a nice story very nicely told by locals that I like to bring up here. Its an American-Breton! Alfred Klots was born in France in 1875, from an American family of Baltimore, MD ,that practiced the silk trade. Very early reveals his artistic talent, this young painter will follow most of his training in New York before coming to live in Paris in 1901 It was then that he fell in love with Brittany. He buys the Castle or rather what’s left of it, It is in ruins and only the stables had been converted into a dwelling in the 19C. In successive stages, he will revive it and it will become his castle in Brittany. In 1918-1919 he opened his home to the American Red Cross , which makes it a convalescent center for soldiers , which would be worth to him to receive the Legion of Honor after the war. A willingly patron, Alfred was also interested in the development of the local heritage; and in 1913, it established an annual competition which will make the village one of the most flower in France and as above the flower villages of France of today! . This American adopted by the local Rochefortais died in 1939. His son Trafford Klots born in 1913, also devoted himself to painting. In 1940 when the war broke out he created the American Fund for relief to the Bretons, before engaging as an officer in the U S Army. In 1944, back in Rochefort en Terre, he finds intact the Castle and its collections saved thanks to the dedication of the gatekeeper. Trafford Klots will be made a Knight of the Legion of Honor by France. He died in 1976. Today, the Castle is a property of the Department of Morbihan that makes it live another way for our greatest pleasure.as a cultural center. At the slate time of the Sundial, their present, allied to the past has become an invaluable gift. that of a love story between Brittany and the USA ! Nice story indeed !!!.
The City of Rochefort en Terre on its heritage : http://www.rochefort-en-terre.fr/listes/patrimoine/
The Rochefort en Terre tourist office on its heritage : https://www.rochefortenterre-tourisme.bzh/sorganiser/nos-villes-et-villages/rochefort-en-terre/#more-5658
There you go folks, a wonderful town that should be visit by all, For now enjoy the story, the history,the architecture of this whimsicla quant town. Again, hope you enjoy the streets of Rochefort en Terre !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 