I came into new pictures found in my cd rom vault on this wonderful abbey, and they should be in my blog for you and me. I have written before on the abbey in my introduction post on Paimpont but this one is with new text and links, The town of Paimpont is in the forest of Brocéliande of fame Arthurien legends, and in the department 35 of Ille et Vilaine in my lovely region of Bretagne of my belle France. Therefore, let me tell you about the abbey Notre Dame of Paimpont !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The monastery founded in the 7C by Judicaël became the Abbey Notre-Dame in the 13C The abbey and former monastery on the gothic and baroque styles built on the site of a Priory founded in 645 by Lacy, king of Dumnonia. Benedictine monastery, from its foundation by the order of the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine, the building was intended for monastic and parish uses until the French revolution. The edifice at the beginnig was a benedictine monastery from the 12C of which there is nothing left today. The western portal of the church includes a statue of the Virgin and Child , this statue, dating from the end of the 13C, is surrounded by praying angels located in the spandrels of the tympanum, an arrangement adopted for the relic gallery of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.
The Abbey of Notre-Dame holds this peculiarity to house both the religious center of the parish and the center of the communal power, since the City/Town hall is located in the Grand Logis, like the presbytery. The abbey is the central building, which is linked to other buildings such as the the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, a place of prayer and meditation; the Baptistery chapel, dedicated to baptism; the sacristy where the precious patrimony of the abbey is preserved; and the Écrouettes room. The Grand Logis and Manoir Abbatial are located around the abbey. The parish Garden is a park of trees and a place of prayer depending on the abbey. It is located not far from the pond, on the banks opposite the abbey, in the direction of the north. It consists of an altar for the major events of the parish, a cave dedicated to the cult of Notre-Dame de Paimpont, and a source of drinking water adjoining a sculptural representation of the King builder Saint Judicaël. A canon of the abbey serves as rector of the parish of Notre-Dame de Paimpont. This is why the nave of the abbey church is divided into two parts: the upper part is devoted to the monks, the lower part to parish functions. Two facing credence niches attest to the presence of the two former parish altars leaning against the grille. They were dedicated to Saint Nicholas and Saint Sebastian. There is also an altar dedicated to Saint James.
The Abbey Notre Dame houses religious silverwares and ancient books spanning a large period, from the 15C to the present day, which are exposed to the public view in glass enclosures. Medieval Gothic style wall, openings, the baptistery and the chapel of St-Sacrement, the vault), the abbey presents interior decoration (Chair, statue,altars, and altarpieces) characteristic of the baroque style of the 17C. The sacristy contains the Treasury of the Abbey church composed of a beautiful Christ in ivory (17C), a reliquary (15C) offered by the Duchess Margaret of Brittany, mother of Anne of Brittany, which would contain a radius of Saint Luke, a statue in polychrome wood (15C).
The last major restoration of Abbey Notre Dame was carried out between 2001 and 2004 As such, the entire abbey was affected by the restoration: the vaults of the choir and transept were consolidated, the 15C woodwork was dismantled and sent to Rennes to restore them to their former appearance. Scraping the vaults revealed frescoes dating from the 15C. The abbey’s three altarpieces were restored, as were the paintings and sculptures in the chapels and the choir. The canopy was rebuilt at the time of the work, something that had not been done for thirty years for safety reasons.
The town of Paimpont on its heritage: https://www.paimpont.bzh/transitions/decouvrir-paimpont/
The local Broceliande tourist office on the abbey: https://tourisme-broceliande.bzh/en/activite/labbaye-de-paimpont/
The Encyclopédie de Brocéliande on the abbey : https://broceliande.brecilien.org/L-eglise-abbatiale-Notre-Dame-de-Paimpont
This is indeed a magical land of pure nature and story telling for old and young. The abbey is an integral part of the town, and a must to see while there. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Abbey Notre Dame of Paimpont !!! as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 