Brittany

by S. Baring-Gould

Pont Scorff (M.) chl. arr. Lorient. The Scorff divides the town into two parts, the upper and the lower towns, united by two bridges. The Church of S. Albin is of 1610 with additions in 1710. One town was the religious, the other the secular. The religious one was Les-Albin (the Court of Albin), and here was born S. Albinus, who became Bishop of Angers in 529 and died in 550. P. 1st S. in March. P. of S. Yves, Sunday after 10th May. P. of S. Nicodème 3rd Sunday in September.

Quevin (Coet-quen, the white wood). A menhir 16 ft. high, to the west a Calvary with fifteen figures. A Holy Well, and Chapel of S. Eloi, 16th cent., in the village, but altered in 18th cent. The parish church is modern. S. Nicodème, late flamboyant chapel of 1578. La Trinité, 16th cent., but with a tower of 1771. P. 7th Sunday after Trinity.

Port Louis (M.) chl. arr. Lorient. The Church of N.D. was built in 1665. The Chapel of S. Pierre contains a statue of S. Elisha found in the sea at the beginning of the 17th cent., to which the Pope accorded sundry indulgences. Port Louis was but a small fishing village called Locperan till the beginning of the 17th cent. It possesses a citadel and a marine hospital. P. at Locmalo 26th July.

Questembert (M.) chl. arr. Vannes. Here, in 888, Alan I., Count of Vannes, encountered the Northmen and slaughtered 12,000 of them. Hardly 400 escaped to their ships. In consequence of this victory, Alan was proclaimed Duke of Brittany. Some crosses mark the spot where the battle raged. La Croix Rochue has a weapon like a halbert cut on it. La Croix Tuaint is marked with five nail heads and a small cross. La Croix à la Poèle also has nail heads. The parish church is modern, 1863. In the churchyard a fine Calvary. The Chapel of S. Michel is flamboyant. In the Chapel of N.D., an old Templar church, is a Romanesque font employed as a bénitier. The town possesses some old houses and halles of 1675; also a cylindrical tower with two heads on it called Quest and his wife.

Quiberon (M.) chl. arr. Lorient. A favourite watering place on a sandy strip of land, some twelve miles long, and only one and a half wide. The sea has gained considerably here. An alignment of menhirs now leads into the water. The granite rock is everywhere under blown sand that shifts with every gale. A menhir is at the point of Beg-conguel, and there are remains of a cromlech (stone circle) at Beg-lann, and ruins of two dolmens at Manémeur. Two dolmens at Kerniscot, an allée couverte at Croh-collé, and the remains of an alignment at the Mill of Kerbournec, and two more dolmens at Port-blanc. But what is most interesting here is the prehistoric necropolis at Belle-vue, Be-ker-Nôz and another in the Isle of Thénec. The graves are stone chests, in which the skeletons are crouched, but occasionally extended. The sand has preserved the bones, which have lost nothing but their gelatine. An early Christian cemetery has also been discovered at Kerné. In 1795 an English squadron disembarked 3000 émigrés here, and they were joined by numerous peasants. Hoche defeated them, and swept the peninsula, driving together all who remained. The prisoners were then all shot down in cold blood, some at Quiberon, some at Auray, and the rest at Vannes.

IN QUIMPER

* QUIMPER (F.) chl. d'arr. This beautiful town is situated at the junction of the Stier and the Odet, and is the seat of a bishop. The diocese of S. Pol de Léon has been united to that of Quimper. It is at a distance of fifteen miles from the sea, but has a small port. It is a bright and thriving city, and is the seat of the manufacture of the Breton faience, a pretty ware copied from old Rouen, but with original developments. The old walls are almost gone. Quimper is dominated on the south by a lofty well-timbered hill. It has charming esplanades by the sides of the Odet. In the town are several old houses. The great glory of the place is however the Cathedral of S. Corentin. The choir dates from the end of the 13th cent. The transepts and nave belong to the 15th. The twin spires are modern and excellent. The architect, M. Bigod, took that of Pontcroix as his pattern, and could not have done better. The erection of these spires was due to the town folk consenting to a duty of a sou a pound being charged on all the butter brought into market. The choir leans considerably to the left, and the junction with the transepts is awkwardly effected. It is said that this deflection was due to the spongy nature of the soil which did not allow of the choir being built in the same axis as the nave. This, however, does not explain it, as the nave was erected subsequent to the choir. At the summit of the W. gable is a statue of King Grallo. This W. front is fine, but the modern filling in of the doorway is weak. A S. side entrance is altogether exquisite. There is, however, nothing really characteristic of a local school in the cathedral; it follows the traditions of the Isle of France, but has not the loftiness, often exaggerated, of some of those magnificent cathedrals. The beautiful lady-chapel is in the purest geometrical style. The choir has an apsidal termination. The clerestory windows are filled with old glass representing saints, but the modern glass is detestable. The third chapel on the N. side contains memorials of a supposed miracle, a crucifix that emitted drops of blood when a man perjured himself before it. The high altar is a mass of silver gilt, decorated in a style suitable to a restaurant rather than to a church. There is a good, restored, bishop's chapel. The Church of S. Mathieu has been rebuilt and has a modern spire. The fine stained glass representing the scenes of the Passion in the east window has been retained; it is of the 16th cent. The musée should be visited. Besides containing an admirable collection of paintings, many by Breton artists, it has a large group of lay-figures dressed in the various costumes of Léon and Cornouaille, representing a marriage. Nor should the visitor omit a call on M. Villard, who has an extensive collection of really artistic photographs of Breton costumes and architecture. Quimper market should be visited on Saturday, when various costumes may be seen, the white quilted collars of the Pont-aven district, and the curious head dresses of the Bigauden women.

Locmaria is only a stroll down the left bank of the Odet, and there may be seen a very beautiful example of a Romanesque church with central tower, transepts and apse.