I am back in my road warrior mode going this time to my backyard of my beautiful Morbihan, lovely Bretagne and in my belle France. I have come here before seeking the story of Arthur and the roundtable ,and as read updates to it decided to come back to the area. Therefore, let me tell you about the Church Sainte Onenne of Tréhorenteuc !!! Hope you enjoy it as I
The town of Tréhorenteuc is located on the border with Ille-et-Vilaine dept 35. it is the second smallest town in the Morbihan ! Tréhorenteuc was one of the first towns to keep a parish register, from 1573, to notify the burials. After the 1940s, the history of Tréhorenteuc mingles with the Arthurian legend. The town is 68 km from Rennes, and 72 km from my house, worth the detour.
The Sainte-Onenne Church became a cultural center, where today one can admire a beautiful mosaic, the ” White Stag” made in 1955 and a large stained glass window featuring major elements of Arthurian legend. The Sainte-Onenne Church or Grail Chapel has the first so-called “Round Table” stained glass window made and installed in 1943, In this church, the stained glass windows, paintings and mosaic of the Cerf blanc au collier d’or represent ; the haloed deer represents Christ, and the four lions, the four gospels. We find these elements in an episode of the famous Quest for the Grail. For this, it finds a common core between these three worlds, which is the Grail. The latter is frequently depicted, which is why the church is also called the Grail Chapel. It is dedicated to Saint Onenne. You see a statue of Notre-Dame du Rosaire, which dates from the 18C , and a statue of Saint John the Baptist, dating from the 15C.
The Church Sainte Onenne as locally better known in Tréhorenteuc is home to a processional Cross in silver copper on wooden coverage. The Cross is also dated from the 17C, proof of the interest of the canons of the Notre-Dame de Paimpont Abbey (see post) for the processions at the Sainte-Onenne fountain. The church ,also, sheltered three statues of Sainte Onenne mentioned until the beginning of the 20C, as well as the tomb of the Saint definitively destroyed in 1943.
Sainte Onenne is the secondary patron of Tréhorenteuc. It is Saint Eutrope, bishop of Saintes (Charente-Maritime 17), who is according to local tradition the first saint of the parish. Considered one of the sisters of King Judicaël, Onenne would have had a historical existence at the end of the 6C or early 7C. Her worship is only attested in the parish of Tréhorenteuc alone where the church and a fountain are dedicated to her. Onenne also owned her tomb in the church, three statues as well as a banner carried during processions at the fountain , The banner is in silk, with application of embroidery. It presents on a face Christ on the cross on a red background, surrounded by the Virgin Mary and Saint John. The other face includes a virgin and child between Saint Onenne and Saint Eutrope kneeling, on a white background decorated with lilk leaves. It is from the 17C, and was very beautiful. Some other scholarly description has a representing the Crucifix, on the other the Virgin between Saint Eutrope and Saint -Onenne kneeling. The Virgin gives the saint a rich golden butt, the child Jesus blesses the saint, dressed in a sort of veil or white cap, a yellow dress and a blue coat rolled around the belt. It is the same costume as the lying statue; from the Greek or the Roman as made by the painters of Louis XIV. We should not omit a white cane and three canetons represented on the banner between the two saints.
The local Brocéliande tourist office on the Grail Church of Tréhorenteuc : www.broceliande-vacances.com/en/discover/our-must-haves/the-forest-of-broceliande/legends-side/legendary-arthurian-sites-in-broceliande/the-grail-church/
The Encyclopédie de Brocéliande by the Association on history of sites and personages : https://broceliande.brecilien.org/
The local Broceliande vacances tourist office on Trehorenteuc : https://www.broceliande-vacances.com/en/discover/our-must-haves/our-towns-and-villages-of-character/trehorenteuc-gb/
The Ploérmel community of towns on Tréhorenteuc: https://www.ploermelcommunaute.bzh/trehorenteuc/
A good private site on the Brocéliande guide for Tréhorenteuc: https://broceliande.guide/A-Trehorenteuc-la-Porte-est-en-dedans-et-le-Val-sans-Retour
There you go folks, another dandy road warrior trip by yours truly, this time with my boys and Rex our dog, as sadly we are less and less. We are looking forward to discover more beauties in my beautiful Morbihan in the future, the potential is awesome! Again, hope you enjoy the post about the Church Sainte Onenne of Tréhorenteuc as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 