I spent as much or maybe more time in Vannes ,than in my domicile town. I used to worked and went and go in for quick trips, shopping, eat out, the family comes here on every break and weekends. Vannes or Gwened (Breton) is in my beautiful Morbihan (Breton for Petite Mer or small sea) dept 56 of my lovely Bretagne or Breizh (Breton) and in my belle France or Bro-C’hall (Breton). I am happy to have found more pictures in my cd rom vault not yet on the blog and they should be for you and me, Le me tell you again on the Church Saint Patern of Vannes, part II !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The Saint Patern’s Church is located at rue de la Fontaine corner with rue Saint-Patern. The church was built on the existing foundations of a much older church, which held the relics of Saint Patern (the first bishop of Vannes). The original church had been built in the 11C and had replaced the another church which had suffered damage at the hands of Norman invaders at the turn of the 9-10C. Given the presence in the church of some bone fragments of Saint Patern, a visit to the church was one of the seven stages of Tro-Breiz a pilgrimage so popular in the Middle Ages, the task for the pilgrim was to visit the tombs of the seven founding saints of Brittany, the ancient bishops Brieuc, Malo, Samson, Corentin, Pol, Tugwal and Patern in Vannes.
The altarpiece of the Saint-Patern ,It was in 1964 that Pope Paul VI declared Saint Patern patron of the diocese of Vannes. Since then, the liturgical feast of Saint Patern is fixed each year on April 15. The Altarpieces of the Sainte Parenté or Holy Family
The pulpit is from 1813 with last renovation in 1992, The organ of the church was ordered in 1896, built and delivered in 1897, The last renovations date back to 1937 and in 1977, and it became urgent to carry out a new restoration campaign. The work will take place from 2023 to early 2025, and will be financed by the city of Vannes and by donations.
A bit of history I like tell us that we know how, tired of the contradictions he encountered, Saint Patern abandoned his diocese and retired to the interior of Gaul or to the Franks, where he died and was buried, around the year 480, and how also, by a great and long drought, the sky itself took charge of recalling it later to the memories of Vannes. Recognizing in this scourge a punishment inflicted on their ingratitude, they went to his tomb, not only to make amends and ask for rain through his intercession, but also with the pious purpose of transporting his body to his Episcopal city. They were able to open the tomb; but the removal of the coffin resisted all their efforts, when the rich owner, who was part of the pilgrimage, publicly promised to donate his land and to build there at his expense a chapel for the burial of the Saint. Immediately, the body could be removed and the rain was not long in falling. Hence; the religious custom, which still exists, of asking for rain through the intersection of Saint Patern. The chapel was built and housed the glorious tomb until the end of the 9C or the beginning of the 10C, when Daoc, abbot of Saint-Gildas de Rhuys, transported the body of the holy bishop, with those of Saint Gildas and of Saint Patrice, in Bourg-Déols, in the Berri, and where, like the other religious monuments. The new building was much superior to the first in its size and architectural character.The original church had been built in the 11C and had replaced the another church which had suffered damage at the hands of Norman invaders at the turn of the 9-10C. Given the presence in the church of some bone fragments of Saint Patern, a visit to the church was one of the seven stages of Tro-Breiz a pilgrimage so popular in the Middle Ages, the task for the pilgrim was to visit the tombs of the seven founding saints of Brittany, the ancient bishops Brieuc, Malo, Samson, Corentin, Pol, Tugwal and Patern in Vannes, The “Tro Breiz” has recently regained some popularity and pilgrims, hikers and enthusiasts of Breton history are again seeking out the old pilgrim pathways. Raised to the rank of parish church it was surrounded by a cloister which did not collapse until the last years of the 14C, and received, until the middle of the 15C, the visits of the many pilgrims of Tro-Breiz.
In 1727, in order to note its state of ruin and the need to raze it and replace it with a new construction. It appears that these reconstructions had absorbed more than the resources available at the time; because the church was not entirely finished, and it is necessary to cross many years and arrive at 1769 so that it is question of completing the nave and of building a tower, no longer on the transept, like the old one, but at the bottom of the nave. The first stone of this new tower was laid in 1770, at the bottom of the old nave. The works were carried out for 1775 the tower which was not completed until 1826. Among the objects forming the treasure of this church, the archives mention, in 1662 and 1793, a silver chief of Saint Patern and containing some pieces of his relics. There were also, in their custodies, two silver images of Saint Patern and of Saint Mary Magdalene, given, at the end of the 16C. The restoration of the Church of Saint Patern between 2006 and 2008 restored the church to its 18-19C volumes by removing the untimely additions from the beginning of the 20C. The interest of the church rests not only on its stylistic homogeneity found thanks to its restoration but also on its severe style known as “style of the engineers”, noticeable in particular at the level of the openings and the rarity of the decoration. Inside the church, the restored altarpieces, paintings and sculptures as well as the stained glass windows give the whole a character of elegant purity.
The City of Vannes on the Church Saint Patern : https://www.mairie-vannes.fr/eglise-saint-patern
The official Church Saint Patern: https://www.saint-patern.bzh/l-%C3%A9glise-saint-patern
The local Gulf of Morbihan tourist office on the Saint Patern quartier or neighborhood of Vannes : https://www.golfedumorbihan.bzh/explorer-vannes/activites-vannes/randonnee-pedestre/balades-urbaines-vannes/le-quartier-saint-patern/
There you go folks, I am always glad to tell more of this wonderful church in a quant neighborhood of Vannes ,which can be revisit many times , Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Church Saint Patern of Vannes, part II !!! as I
And remember, happy travels, good health ,and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 