A Heritage to Discover

Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption (Our Lady of Assumption)

This chapel is also named Saint Michel (since it replaced the church of the same name in the 17th century). It is a gothic church that had been built in two phases: the nave had been built at the end of the 13th century (primitive gothic). In 1373 the church was ruined by Du Guesclin; the choir, the spire and the porches (particularly the magnificent north porch) were rebuilt at the beginning of the 15th century (high gothic period). The church conserves the oldest wooden lintels of Brittany (1430) and rich statuary of virgins, mermaids,…

Sainte-Croix (Saint Cross)

The abbey of Saint Cross had been built at the end of the 11th century. This monument is remarkable by its cruciform and circular structure and the measure oft its volume. The collapse of the spire (of the 17th century) the 21 March 1862 implicated the destruction of a big part of the church and its (more or less) identical reconstruction. The sanctuary of the monks was remaining intact as a “summit of Roman art” (for Y. Bellancourt) as well as the crypt, one of the most beautiful ones in Brittany. Among all this it is important to note as well the rich furnishing, the oldest gravesite of Brittany (around 1500) and a Renaissance retable (1541). The cloistral buildings and the monastery are nowadays occupied by the police.

Maison des Archers (“Archers”-House)

A beautiful bourgeois house of 1550, restored by a former president of the Tourist Office. It houses temporary exhibitions. Next door the certainly oldest house of Quimperlé, a former sales stall with a conserved stand of stone.

Les ruines de l’ancienne église Saint-Colomban (The ruins of the church)

The Roman portal can be retraced to the 10th or 11th century. The leftovers of the window frame above are in gothic style; on the courtyard next to the entrance of the cinema exist mural fragments of the sanctuary including the bases of three columns (en culs-de-lampe) sculptured and dated to the 14th century. The gothic hall church that was spreading to the river fell in at the beginning of the 19th century.

Les hôtels particuliers de l’ancienne rue du Château (The mansions)

Old noble area of the town which can be considered as a small “Marais” quimperlois where one find private mansions of the 15th/16th and the 19th century. This privileged residence can be seen by the proximity of the politic, administrative and judiciary power. All the persons of rank; all the army officers and officers of the royal marin have had there houses built by famous architects from Lorient. You find these sumptuous and charming dwellings on both sides of the street and every house has a big garden that reaches the river Isole or the river Ellé. The street Brémond d’Ars constitutes a beautiful section of the civil architecture.

Le pont fleuri (The old flowered bridge)

The former “Pen-Pont-Ellé” was the access from Vannetais (the River Ellé is the traditional border) to one of the three ports of the fortified town. From the Middle Ages on it has preserved its aspect of a donkeys’ back, its puissant piers and two of its six gothic arcs.

Les Halles (Covered market)

The Covered market was constructed by the Moreau Brothers, Parisian builders who worked on plans that William and Farges drew up. Contempories of the Eiffel Tower They were built in the heart of the historical part of town next to the Saint Cross church.

A former convent (Chapelle des Ursulines)

A former convent dating fron the 17th century. It was built in a Jesuit style with a baroque influence and has a wonderful gold leaf ceiling. In spring and summer, the town of Quimperlé organises some major Contemporary Art Exhibitions.

Le Présidial

This building is an old courthouse dating from 1683 with a superb banistered staircase. Today it is a Gallery with five to six exhibitions a year dedicated to creative contemporary art. Open every day except Tuesday.

The Lothéa Chapel

Médiathèque

La médiathèque propose tout au long de l'année des expositions et des animations. C'est un lieu ouvert à tous favorisant les rencontres, les échanges, la découverte, le plaisir et le savoir.

Chapelle Saint-David

Le toponyme pourrait correspondre, d´après Bernard Tanguy, à saint Dewi, un moine originaire du pays de Galles vénéré lors du pardon de la chapelle. Isolé, situé à l´écart de la ville et dominant l´ancien faubourg de Bourgneuf, l´édifice conserve une partie de sa structure d´origine, notamment la nef et ses baies qui remontent à la première moitié du 16e siècle. Les piliers nord de la tour-clocher formant porche semblent dater du 17e siècle. Les piliers sud ainsi que la chambre des cloches ont été modifiés à plusieurs reprises à l´époque contemporaine.