Quimperlé Off The Beaten Path

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its a city of three rivers the small Dourun, the medium Ellé,and the grand Laîta. Over the Ellé you have the pont fleurie or flowery bridge.

The Pont Fleurie, or flowery bridge, crosses the river Ellé at the level of the place Lovignon ,and was until 1643 the only means of access to Quimperlé from the east. It has been renovated by the 15C and the central arches done after the flooding of 1746 . The bridge was guarded by two towers on heavy thick walls surrounding the lower city or basse ville opening out with three portes or doors following to roads , Vannes-Quimper and Quimperlé-Carhaix.

The ramparts were done between 1250 and 1270, became in ruins after the war of the 100 years and were erased for good by 1680. The granite blocks salvage were then used to built the quai Brizeux bordering the river Laïta. the bridge inspired several painters from the 19C on, and one Theodore Hersart de la Villemarque , wrote Barzas-Breiz has a statue there by the pont and place.

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or white Abbey. built around 1265AD by duke Jean Ier to house a convent of the order of the Dominicains to compete with the powerful Benedictines of the abbey church of Sainte Croix.

The name of the abbaye blanche or white abbey is probably in honor of the duke’s wife Blanche de Navarre( Navarra) or to the color of the clothes of the monks there. and The convent was closed in 1790 (French revolution) , and the church disappeared and the monastiques symbols are progressively dismembered.

In 1808 the ladies of the retirement of the sacre heart or Sacré-Coeur. In 1887, a cult of Saint-Joseph is established. The sisters are replaced in 1960 by the daughters of Jésus de Kermaria. The chapel of Saint-Joseph is built between 1932- 1935.

wonderful tranquil place indeed

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The ruins of the church of Saint Colomban, there since the 6C!!! with a Celtic monastery following the rules of Irish Saint Colomban.

Destroyed by the Vikings in 878AD. Some claimed to have been renovated by the year 1000AD and on the 13C a great Gothic church long of 50 meters was built.

It still can be seen a piece from this period by the wall of the altar with sculptures and a facade renovated from the 15C. church of the lower city or basse ville it comes into diehard times and to ruins for lack of maintenance in early 19C.

The modern cinema is there now in the old altar of the church now name Cinema La Bobine.

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or old convent of the Ursulines, the foundation of the community of Ursulines in Quimperlé dates from 1652.

They purchase it in 1665 ,the stables of Bel-Air. First stone of the building is done in 1667 and the entry of the monastery is done by the Ursulines in 1674, where they would teach to the daughters of the neglected .
The success makes for enlarging of the buildings from the 18C to end of the 20C respecting the original architecture of the building.
The law Combes, establishing the separation of State and Church in 1905 take them out. The old monastery becomes a primary school for girls.
In WWII, the building is taken over by the Nazi security and police. The Gestapo ,interrogates, torture in its walls. AFter the war, the building is return to a primary school teaching girls then to a collége or middle school Jules Ferry.

The chapel is today a place to have expos of comptemporary arts.