Private Tours BRITTANY Middle ages in Brittany
Advised tours : THE MIDDLE AGES IN BRITTANY
These programs are given as an example, they can be modified depending on the pick up location and on your interests.
TOUR 1 : Historical Brittany
Fougères / Rennes / Dinan
TOUR 2 :
Mont-Saint-Michel / Saint-Malo / Dinan
TOUR 3 :
Vannes / Quimper / Carnac
BRETAGNE MEDIEVALE
The origin of the name, Bretagne, “Little Britain”, comes from Grande-Bretagne, “Greater Britain”, the island where their ancestors came from to escape the invading Saxons. By its geographical location and constant hostility to their Norman neighbours, Britanny maintained its independence, developing its own identity, language, culture and architecture separate from the rest of France. Finally conquered in the 16th Century by the King of France, Britanny lost its independence but kept its own regional individuality. This can be seen today in numerous architectural styles such as the granite defences of Fougeres, the gothic cathedrals of Quimper and especially the numerous picturesque town centres and charming medieval houses such as are found in Dinan or Vannes.
Advised toursRENNES :
This town contains some of the richest architecture of the past two millennia. Founded by the Romans, then taken over by the Celts, it was developed as an episcopal town from the 5th Century onwards and was the Capital of the Duchy of Brittany in the Middle Ages until being taken over by France in 1562 when it became the Regional capital. Despite it being dynamic and modern, you will easily find numerous buildings predating the Great Fire of 1720 and can lose yourself in the charming medieval atmosphere that can be found everywhere. Just a few of the sites to see are the Cathedral Saint-Pierre, the Palais de Justice with the old Parliament, the Town Hall with its clock tower or the famous 19th Century Gardens of Thabor.
DINAN :
The medieval bridge spanning the river Rance made this village an important strategic point in the Middle Ages. This allowed a port to develop where linen, leather, wood and grain were exported on a large scale. The commercial heart of the town is situated high on a hill 80 meters (250 feet) above the port from which it looks down from behind its impressive medieval ramparts. A visit to this town will take you in the 12th Century church of Saint-Sauveur and the 14th Century castle still surrounded today by buildings as old as the castle itself. The more energetic can take a walk down the original steep and winding Rue de Jerzual to the port below while the more discerning can sample the local gastronomic specialities.
FOUGERES :
With 13 towers and enclosing five acres, the castle of Fougeres is not only imposing but a classic work of medieval military architecture. The castle was first built just after 1000 AD in this part of the Nançon river valley to defend the frontiers of Brittany from Norman invasion. Situated where the borders of three separate kingdoms met, it was a major trading post and grew rapidly in times of peace. However, because of this favourable trading position, it was also very strategically important and was attacked and destroyed several times during the various wars fought in this region over the last millennium, most notably, when the town was completely destroyed by an English army under King Henry II in 1166.
QUIMPER :
The ancient capital of French Cornwall is situated at the meeting of two rivers. In walking along the many canals and strolling through the old town centre, you will be drawn to the Cathedral of Saint-Corentin, built in 1240, where as well as its ornate exterior, you will see that the interior of the church and its stained-glass windows are of the same high standard. From 1690 onwards, the town also became heavily involved in the production and decoration of porcelain, developing over time its own distinct style that is nowadays known the world over. There are also museums showing how this craft evolved as well as the famous Henriot factory where this beautiful work is still carried on today.
VANNES :
Nestled at the back of the Gulf of Morbihan and surrounded by over 60 small islands, the principal activities of the area are sailing and oyster production. As it is located, the town had held a status as Regional Capital until the 16th Century. Before its development as a modern sailing port however, the town was a thriving medieval trading port which can still be seen around the 13th Century Cathedral of Saint-Pierre. Visitors can exit the city through the old prison gate and it is still possible to walk along the town ramparts, overlooking the River Marle and the old wash house.
CARNAC :
As fascinating and interesting as Stonehenge in England, this prehistoric sites of more than 3000 standing stones, or “menhirs”, is believed to date back over 5000 years and is as little understood as Stonehenge. Believed to have been, amongst other things, an astrological calendar or place of local religious worship, the magnificence and complexity of the alignment of the stones bears witness to an advanced and important civilization which evolved in this area more than five millennia ago.
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