Page 99 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Brittany

C Ô TES D ’ ARMOR  97

patron of bards. The fountain Environs
300 m (330 yds) from the chapel About one km (0.5 mile) to the
is said to have sprung at his north is a charming parish close
command. Sick children were with a calvary dating from
dipped in its miraculous waters 1550. The Gorges du Corong,
in the hope of curing them. 10 km (6 miles) south of Bulat-
Châtelaudren, 13 km (8 miles) Pestivien, are wreathed in ferns
east of Guingamp via the N12- and have a wild and dramatic
E50 then the D7, is well worth beauty. According to legend, the
the detour for the Chapelle great rocks beneath which the
Notre-Dame-du-Tertre, which river flows are the stones that a
contains 132 remarkable giant shook out of his clogs.
15th-century frescoes on
biblical themes.
6 Belle-Isle-en-
Terre
Road map C2. 18 km (11 miles) west
of Guingamp via the N12. * 1,110. The church at Bulat-Pestivien, in
n 15 Rue de Crec’h-Ugen; (02) 96 43 the Renaissance style
01 71. £ Guingamp. ( Wed.
_ Festival Blues (Oct). ∑ ot-belle- Environs
isle-en-terre.com The village of Loc-Envel, 4 km
(3 miles) southwest of Belle-
This town lies between the Isle via the D33, stands on
rivers Guer and Guic, which the edge of the Forêt de
join to form the Léguer, the Coat-an-Noz.
river that flows into the Baie de Loc-Envel is well worth a
Lannion. It is a popular area for visit for its 16th-century church.
fishing, and the meadows and The belfry, with gargoyles, is
woods round about are ideal in the Gothic style, but it is
walking country. the interior that is particularly
Tradition dictates that the fascinating. The rood screen,
origins of Belle-Isle-en-Terre richly decorated in the
The nave of the Basilique Notre-Dame go back to the 9th century and Flamboyant Gothic style, and
in Guingamp its name is probably from the the vaulting of the nave, from
monks of Belle-Isle, an island which hosts of carved monsters
off the western coast of Brittany, stare down, are remarkable.
5 Bulat-Pestivien who founded a monastery in The forest, with age-old trees
nearby Locmaria. whose branches are covered
Road map C2. 18 km (11 miles)
southwest of Guingamp via the D787 Just north of the village is the with moss, lichen and ferns, is
then the D31. * 440. _ Pardon Chapelle de Locmaria, which a magical place in which to
(early Sep). has a 15th-century rood screen. stroll. The forest’s undulating
The castle here houses the terrain, and the paths that wind
This small village (famous, Centre Régional d’Initia tion à between clumps of box-tree
rather quirkily, as a centre for la Rivière, which is dedicated to dating from Roman times, make
the breeding of the Breton environmental protection. it interesting walking country.
spaniel) boasts a magnificent
14th-century church, Eglise de
Notre Dame. Its tower is the
earliest example of Renaissance
architecture in Brittany. Like
those of the church at Loc-Envel
(see below), the exterior walls are
covered in gargoyles, monsters
and grimacing ankous (skeletons).
Both the porch and the main
entrance dazzle with their
elaborate decoration. According
to legend, this church was built
by a lord in thanks to the Virgin
Mary, who restored his son to him
when the child was snatched by
a monkey. This strange scene is
depicted in the sacristy. The Flamboyant Gothic rood screen in the church at Loc-Envel

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