I take you once again to the my beautiful Morbihan dept 56 of my lovely Bretagne. We will go into off the beaten paths that needs to be known! Today , I will tell you about the Church Saint Peter and Saint John the Baptist of Guéhenno !!! I have written bits of it but really needs a post of its own, well merit me think, Hope you enjoy it as I.
The parish of Guéhenno seems to be a dismemberment of the ancient primitive parish of Guegon for its northern part, and the ancient primitive parish of Bignan for its southern part. Guéhenno is apparently of monastic origin 11C. The parish was founded in 1196 by Guéhennoc, bishop of Vannes. The Church Saint Pierre et Saint Jean Baptiste was buit and renovated from the 16C to the 19C. This church, which dates from 1859 , replaces an older church from the 16C which was burned down in 1794 during the French revolution. Barely built, the bell tower collapsed and was immediately rebuilt , You still have from the old 16C church, the sacristy, to the south, and its pretty flamboyant door have been preserved. Inside you can see, in addition to a 16C pool, a stone bas-relief from the old porch representing various scenes from the Passion and a polychrome wooden Virgin and Child dating from the 18C. An inscription outside bears the following words: “this gate was made in the year 1547.” The baptismal font dates from the 19C. There is also a 16C trefoil credenza which was updated during restoration work in 1957.
The enclosure is part of a monumental ensemble including one of the seven monumental calvaries of Brittany and an ossuary (see post). The Church St Peter and St John the Baptist was built of cut stone and has a basilical plan with three naves. The central nave is higher than the two side naves and is topped with a pointed barrel vault. The side naves have a simple barrel vault. The church has a 12C Romanesque portal, which is one of the finest examples of Romanesque art in Brittany. The portal is decorated with sculptures depicting scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary.
The Church St Peter and St John the Baptist interior is also remarkable. There you can see a set of sculpted Romanesque capitals, representing scenes from daily life, animals and fantastic creatures. The original church was built on the site of an old Carolingian church. The church was built by the inhabitants of Guéhenno, who financed the work through donations and collections.
The Church Saint Pierre et Saint Jean Baptiste has several particularities that make it unique. First of all, it is one of the rare Romanesque churches in Brittany to have preserved its original portal. This portal is remarkable for its decorative richness and the quality of its sculptures.Then, the church houses a set of sculpted Romanesque capitals, which are of great finesse and great iconographic richness. These capitals represent scenes from daily life, animals and fantastic creatures, and bear witness to the richness of the medieval imagination.The church is a living place of worship, which regularly hosts masses and religious ceremonies. It is also open to visitors, and guided tours are offered.
The city of Guéhenno on its heritage: https://www.guehenno.fr/culture-et-tourisme/les-sites-touristiques/
And again, you see simply beauty before your eyes, these are monumental examples of mankind and when you think of France and see these again brought back and or save is amazing the human spirit can still do anything. You owe to yourselves visiting in the Morbihan and see these marvels. We love them. For a guided visit stop by the mairie or City/town hall or call +33 2 97 42 24 34 , Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Church Saint Pierre et Saint John the Baptist of Guéhenno as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 