Sarzeau (M.) chl. arr. Vannes. Sarzeau is the principal village or town on the peninsula that bears its name, which divides the sea of Morbihan from the ocean. That peninsula is some 20 miles long and 6 across, but it has been much diminished in width by the sea which has eaten away much of the coast. It is granitic on the west, and schist on the east, and the granite is of a soft quality, allowing the sea to decompose and break it up. Thus a parish church of S. Demetri has been engulfed. A second was built further inland, and that is now almost entirely surrounded by the sea and threatens shortly to disappear in the waves. Formerly a forest covered the promontory, now it is sparsely wooded and trees only flourish on the side toward the inland sea. But the climate is equable, and vines are cultivated; this is the most northern point reached by vineyards. Yet wine can only be made once in about three years, and is not of a good quality. At Cohports is a menhir 12 ft. high, and a circle of standing stones at Croen-Linden, and dolmens, more or less ruined, at Noédic, Prat-Fetén, Trest, Kergilét, Brillac, and Kerbley. An allée couverte 30 ft. long at Clos-Rodus. Gildas coming from Glastonbury about 520 founded a monastery at Rhuys, and a cell or peniti at Coetlann, afterwards called the Priory of S. Pabu, but this has disappeared. In the town is the house in which Le Sage was born, the author of "Gil Blas" (b. 1668, d. 1747). The church is a horrible structure, begun in 1670 and ended in 1683. It was formerly one vast hall, but a couple of ranges of columns were introduced in 1883 sustaining arcades, and qualifying somewhat the internal ugliness. Externally, the pinnacles are composed of little pyramids resting on balls.
The Castle of Sucinio was occupied in 1218 by Duke Pierre de Dreux, and in 1238 their son, Jean I., confined within it the baron Olivier de Lanvaux, who had rebelled against him. This prince was fond of the place and several of his children were born there. He took in the forest about the priory of Coetlann or Saint-Pabu, and the greater part of the castle that now stands was erected by him. His son John II. continued the works, and put his treasure in its vaults. During the War of Succession it was occupied by Charles de Blois, then taken by Jean de Montfort, and retaken by Du Guesclin. John IV. greatly repaired the castle, and within its walls was born Arthur of Richemond, future Constable of France. In 1474 the Earls of Pembroke and Richemond were imprisoned within its walls. The castle forms an irregular pentagon. It had eight towers, but of these only six remain. The entrance to the east is preceded by a drawbridge, and is defended by two large towers, one of which contains the chapel. The castle, occupied in 1795 by the Royalists, was sold as national property, and the peasant who purchased it despoiled it of its roof and staircases, and let it fall into complete ruin. A fee of one franc per head is charged for admission, the money being devoted to the relief of the poor of Sarzeau.
S. Gildas de Rhuys. Near the ocean; here precipitous cliffs receive the lashing of the Atlantic rollers. Near the drained marsh of Kerver is a menhir 12 ft. high. Near the hamlet of Net four others, and the remains of an allée couverte 70 ft. long and 12 ft. wide; at Clos-er-Bé a dolmen called Meen-platt, and near Largneven a fallen menhir 15 ft. long. The Abbey of S. Gildas was founded about 520. Gildas was the son of Cau, prince of Alcluyd or Dumbarton; Cau and all his family were driven south by the Picts and Saxons, and took refuge in N. Wales, where Maelgwn Gwynedd gave them lands, and the sons for the most part entered into religion. Not so Hywel, the eldest, a quarrelsome man, who fell out with King Arthur, and lost his life in the quarrel. Arthur was forced to surrender some lands in Radnorshire to the family as blood-money, and then Gildas gave him the kiss of peace. Gildas was a married man and had several sons, amongst whom the most noted was Kenneth, hermit of Gower, but who came to Brittany with his father and became a founder there. When aged thirty Gildas settled at Rhuys, and here he wrote his scurrilous letter against the princes and clergy and people of Britain, reviling in it in outrageous terms Maelgwn, who had treated his family with kindness and generosity. Gildas was on good terms with Weroch, Count of Vannes, and with Conmore, Regent of Domnonia, and this latter richly endowed his houses. This did not prevent Gildas from turning against him and heading a revolt which caused the death of his benefactor. It was whilst Gildas was at Rhuys that he was visited by S. Brendan. Although the Irish travellers arrived in cold and snowy weather Gildas refused them hospitality; but the Irishmen broke down the gates and forced themselves upon the sour British abbot. Gildas died in 570, and, according to his desire, his body was placed in a boat and thrust forth to sea. Two months after the body was washed ashore at Arzon, at the extremity of the headland, on March 11th, on which day a procession leaves S. Gildas, annually, and visits the site where it was found. In 818 the monks of Rhuys were forced by Louis the Pious to adopt the Rule of S. Benedict and abandon their Celtic practices. In 919 they were forced to fly from the Northmen. They hid some of the bones of Gildas in sand in his tomb, but carried away most of his relics, and took refuge in Berry. In 1008, at the request of Geoffroi, Duke of Brittany, Felix, monk of S. Benoït-sur-Loire, with six others came to Rhuys to restore the ruined abbey. He rebuilt the church which was consecrated in 1032, and much of this edifice remains. The church, in the form of a Latin cross, is composed of two distinct parts, the nave, rebuilt in 1699, and the choir and N. transept built by S. Felix 1010-32. The choir is apsidal, with the tomb of Gildas behind the high altar. It is surrounded by Romanesque columns with stilted arches, surmounted by small 11th cent. windows. The N. transept also possesses an apse to the east, and under a low arcade in the N. wall the tombs of S. Felix and S. Gulstan. On the N. side of the choir on the outside let into the wall is a curious carving representing two knights on horseback tilting at each other. The Romanesque capitals rejected when the nave was rebuilt have been in three cases utilised, by being inverted and turned into bénitiers; another is thrown outside. A beautiful statue of Gildas by Vallet stands over the tomb. It is that of a sweet and placable saint, not of a rancorous and revengeful man. In the S. transept, which was destroyed by a storm and has been rebuilt, is a huge barbaric retable. The treasury contains a silver bust containing part of the skull, and reliquaries for arm and thigh bones of the Saint; some of these reliquaries are of the 15th cent. There is also a mitre of the 15th cent. which is erroneously supposed to have been that of Abelard. The conventual buildings are of the 18th cent. and are occupied by a religious order which receives female paying guests during the season. Abelard, born in 1079, became a Benedictine monk in 1117, and was elected abbot of S. Gildas de Rhuys in 1125. But the strictness of his rule roused the monks against him. "The life of the monks," he wrote, "was indisciplined and frightful. The abbey gates were decorated with the feet of stags, bears and boars. The monks were roused from their slumbers by no other signal than the hunter's horn and the baying of hounds. The natives were barbarous and disorderly." The community revolted against any attempt to bring it to discipline, and Abelard believed that his life was in danger; he accordingly fled in 1138 and died at Cluny in 1142.
By following the road behind the church, along the convent walls, the Chapel of S. Bieuzy is reached, and a path to the right leads to the little Baie de Portas, where in the rock is an impression like that of a horse's hoof. Legend says that Gildas left the Isle of Houat on a flying horse that landed at this spot. A stair cut in the rock leads to the Baie de Saint Gildas, where is a spring and over it a statue of the Saint.
Arzon has a modern church surmounted by a spire, and two stained glass windows recording a vow made in 1673 by some sailors of the place to S. Anne, during the war with Holland. The Chapel of Er Hroez marks the spot where the body of Gildas was found. There are circles of stones at Er-Lannig, and a good many fallen menhirs. At Graniol is a tumulus containing an allée couverte. Another at Bilgroéz. The Butte de Tumiac was explored and a covered avenue found in it, but was so slovenly dealt with that the stones have collapsed.
Scaer (F.) chl. arr. Quimperlé. A dull town, with a vulgar modern church. At S. Jean, about two miles distant, on a lande, is a fine menhir. An abundant spring of Ste. Candide supplies the town, but it has no architectural character. The Chapel of Coatdry is an object of resort from all the neighbourhood on the occasion of the Pardon, 1st Sunday after Trinity, and again the last Sunday in September, when very interesting collections of costumes may be seen.
Le Sel (I.V.) chl. arr. Redon, is without much interest. The church is modern. The tumulus of Chalonge is covered with trees and surrounded by a moat.
Sizun (F.) chl. arr. Morlaix. The church (S. Sulien) has a fine spire of more simple character than those usually met with in Finistère. The porch is renaissance. There are in the parish chapels of S. Cadoc and S. Illtyd. The great Pardon is on the last Sunday in July. The P. of S. Cado the last Sunday in September, and at Loc Ildut on Corpus Christi Day. The Chapel of S. Cado is on the Monts d'Arrée.
Commana. A fine allée couverte measuring 50 ft. A dolmen and a menhir. In the church are some gorgeously barbaric altarpieces, a mass of carving, gilding and colour, of very late renaissance or baroque. P. last Sunday in July. Those interested in prehistoric remains would do well to investigate the Monts d'Arrée, over which many are scattered. A map of the district with the monuments thereon is published in the Bulletin de la Soc. d'emulation des Côtes-du-Nord, T. xxxv. (1897).