I was on my road warrior mode again in my beautiful Morbihan and lovely Bretagne region of my belle France, I have written several post on the basilica but once coming for lunch with friends and my sons needed to stop by again, Josselin is worth the detour ! Therefore, let me give you more of the Basilica Notre Dame du Roncier of Josselin, part II !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
Briefly now, the Basilica Notre-Dame-du-Roncier, also a parish Church, built at the end of the 12C and several times enlarged and modified. It houses the tombs of Olivier V de Clisson, Constable of France, and his second wife Marguerite de Rohan
The Notre-Dame du Roncier Chapel shines with a magnificent 19C altar, itself surrounded by two angels with very ethereal dynamism. Under the neo-Gothic arch stands the statue of Notre Dame du Roncier, which is from the 19C (the original statue was burned during the French revolution). It is this statue that is carried in procession during the Great Pardon on September 8. To the right and left, on the buttress replicas, stand Saint Francis and Saint Dominic.
The Olivier de Clisson’s cenotaph is a monument is of great importance because it is one of the very rare works from the beginning of the 15C in Brittany. The constable of France, Olivier de Clisson (†1407) rests next to his second wife, Marguerite de Rohan (†1406). In 1792, the monument of Olivier de Clisson was torn to pieces and the bones were scattered, of course, again during the French revolution, From a mausoleum, the monument became a cenotaph. The cenotaph has two amazing features. First of all, it bears no coat of arms. And, on an old engraving from before the revolution, it doesn’t wear one either. Even more bizarrely, the inscription read on the cenotaph does not contain any woman’s name. However, no one has ever doubted that the recumbent represented Marguerite de Rohan, second wife of the constable. Because everyone trusts the – irrefutable will of Olivier de Clisson, The cause seemed heard. However, in 1888, the very learned Marquis de Granges de Surgères published a Breton Iconography containing an engraving of the cenotaph. It indicates that it represents the constable and his wife, Béatrix de Laval. Historians are therefore in possession of two contradictory official acts: the will of Olivier de Clisson, from the 15C, and the declaration to the king, from the 17C. This anomaly is accentuated by the total absence of coats of arms on the dress of the countess and on the tomb. No coat of arms either on the engraving of the tomb carried out by the historiographers of the house of Rohan, who nevertheless had documents in their possession. We will therefore remember that the official historiography associates the recumbent figure with Marguerite de Rohan, but that, in fact, we could just as well associate her with Béatrix de Laval. The Constable Olivier de Clisson and his second wife Marguerite de Rohan had the southern apsidiole transformed into an oratory and private chapel at the end of the 14C. In 1370, this powerful lord, who was constable of the royal armies, had a private chapel built to the right of the choir ; the Sainte-Marguerite Chapel, a place intended to shelter his/her remains.
There is a pilgrimage here and one of the most important of the Morbihan, after that of Sainte Anne d’Auray (for Sainte Anne, see post). It is the site of the pardon or forgiveness celebration of the virgen for 1200+ years! every september 8th. You can climb the tower 138 steps at a height of 61 meters. Inside its richly decorated.
The official sanctuary of the basilica: https://sanctuaire-josselin.fr/
The Regional Broceliande tourist board on the basilica: https://www.broceliande-vacances.com/offres/basilique-notre-dame-du-roncier-josselin-fr-2279515/
There you go folks, more on the beauties of my beautiful Morbihan ! The wonderful Basilica Church Notre Dame du Roncier of Josselin is worth to visit, a must I would say if by this area, Do see my several posts on it in my blog! Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Basilica Notre Dame du Roncier of Josselin, part II !!! as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 