Curiosities of Dinan, part VI !!!

Posted in Bretagne, France

I take you up north to beautiful Dinan, in the Côtes d’Armor dept 22 of my lovely Bretagne and my belle France, again. Ah yes very popular town and famous for the chic and famous nice living good beaches and several nice places to see if reading my blog.   I have written several entries on Dinan, and just found me older pictures in my cd rom vault ,not yet in my blog and they should be, Therefore, here is my take on curiosities of Dinan, part VI !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Maison de la Harp Celtic, is a building from the Middle Ages at 6 rue de l’Horloge, containing the head office of the Celtic Harp International Meetings (CRIHC) and serving as an exhibition and Workshops. It was built in 1559 in Lanvollon (north of Saint-Brieuc) and set in parts in 1934 before being up to Dinan in 1939, The first floor advanced on the street, rests on three granite columns. Its centerpieces are made of wood, the walls in cob and on two of the facades, small characters have been carved and painted, in the 16C costume. The official Maison de la Harpe Celtique : https://www.harpe-celtique.fr/maisondelaharpe/

The Rue du Jerzual was a commercial artery, poor and noisy until the 19C, the oldest street in Dinan has become a tourist curiosity today. It is a narrow street that walks from the port on the banks of the Rance to the center of town. For centuries, merchants, travelers and walkers will take this unique, extremely steep route. This essential link between the bourgeois upper town, and the shopping and popular lower town. Craftsmen take the neighborhood to set up their workshops. Until 1930, the street welcomed weavers, basket makers and tanners. Then know silence and abandonment. In the 1970s, artists took place. The houses were in ruins, and they will restore them. The emblematic Sanchez glacier artisan, present for more than 40 years in Saint-Malo, crosses the Rance ,and set up here the Glacier du Jerzual at 1 rue du Jerzual , a must stop for us.

The Porte de Jerzual gate dates from the 14C, and is an old entrance to the city enclosure. It marked the limit between the ancient medieval city and the suburbs of the city of Dinan. It is located on the access route which connected the port to the upper town, with on one side of the gate, the rue du Petit Fort, and on the other rue du Jerzual. This communication route was used for the trade of leather, canvases, wood, spices, cereals, ceramics, etc.

The Bastion Mercoeur or the Grand Fort at rue Saint-Malo between 1585 and 1598, in the midst of the war of religion , the city defenses were reactivated by the Duke of Mercoeur, who makes Dinan a strong place in the League against the Protestants. It includes, in what is called Fort Mercoeur, A first two -round building is built in the 13C with the characteristic features of the Capetian fortification, It therefore seems possible to attribute the construction of the Châtelet, with the two towers and the systems defenses, to Duke Jean Ier, between 1265 and 1286, Later, in the years 1450-1470 the quadrangular before-body was built in front of the 2 laps of flanking , In 1585, the Duke of Mercoeur had bastions built in several points of the enclosure wall ; built an advanced position or Bastion Mercoeur in front of the Porte Saint-Malo gate, It is through this gate that the royal army, thanks to the complicity of certain locals, entered the city in February 1598 and obtained the surrender of the men of the Duke of Mercoeur. It is also through this northern access that royalist troops entered in 1815.

The Château de Dinan is an old 14C fortified castle out of the winner of the war of succession in Brittany, Jean IV the conqueror, Duke of Brittany, decides to build a Tour Ducale or ducal tower in 1380 in order to assert his authority in a city that has long supported his rival Charles de Blois. The site was completed in 1393 and perhaps even as early as 1384. Formed of two adjusted round towers whose junction was reinforced to the west by a square before-body, the building peaks more than 30 meters. The coronation is reinforced by jaw consoles on four projectors.

The city of Dinan on the castle/museum :  https://www.dinan.fr/mes-loisirs/culture-et-patrimoine/le-patrimoine/les-sites-historiques/le-chateau-de-dinan/

The local Dinan-Cap Fréhel tourist office on Dinan: https://www.dinan.fr/mes-loisirs/culture-et-patrimoine/le-patrimoine/

The Bretagne region tourist office on Dinan : https://www.brittanytourism.com/destinations/the-10-destinations/cap-frehel-saint-malo-mont-saint-michel-bay/dinan/

There you go folks, as you have read my previous posts on Dinan, the sights are endless, the beauty is out of this world,and I encourage you to come over and see it first hand. Lots of history, architecture here. Again, hope you enjoy this post on curiosities of Dinan, part VI as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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