Dinan

I was delighted to arrive in Dinan because I had looked forward to seeing the town for a very long time. I had heard it was charming and knew it was described in the city’s web site as a city of art and history. It took only a few minutes from farmland to my hotel, located between the chateau and the famous central marketplace. So already I was charmed by the thought that both had been in the same location for a thousand years, probably more. http://www.dinan-tourisme.com/

As I arrived in late afternoon, I had time only for a short walk before dark. But that was long enough for me to discover many more charming places along a few narrow streets with names that, no doubt, reflected those of the trades found there in the middle ages. Over dinner at the Restaurant St. Louis, restored to perfection – and yes, charming – I thought about what I would see and learn in the next few days, starting with the statue of the famous Du Guesclin facing my hotel window.

My first stop was the tourist office which I found to be well-organized, competently staffed, and spacious. It even had a public computer. I took advantage of the guided tour of the historic area that afternoon to learn some history and better plan what I wanted to see on my own. The tour covered most of the monuments in the one-half mile square center of the town, attesting to the claim of a city of art and history. Fortunately, tourists and shops catering to them were largely missing from this scene, perhaps because it was later in September.

Dinan was old. Its name is old, derived from pre-Roman inhabitants and signifying fortress or fortified hill of the goddess Ahna (a Celtic ruler over life and death). Archeological evidence shows that the site was occupied in the Neolithic. More recently, in the 9th c, monks settled at the foot of the hill and founded a monastery. A fort was built on the top of the hill overlooking the river Rance but it was burned by William the Conquerer (I learned that he was everywhere in Normandy) in 1065, a scene represented in the Bayeux tapestry.

By the 11th c the area was beginning to prosper, beginning with a Benedictine priory that was established at the crossroads of maritime and land trade, a strategic location. The river was the north-south axis leading to the sea; the east-west axis was the trail of monasteries that led from St. Brieuc and Mont St. Michel. Trade and commerce flourished: the city imported salt, cod, and tea; and exported fabric, leather, and wood for constructing ships. Its importance was recognized in 1283 when Dinan became a ducal city and an important military position and ramparts were built to protect it.

My hotel faced an enormous rectangular marketplace bordered by classic granite buildings built by ship-owners in the 18th c. There was a statue of Bertrand Dugesclin in the middle of the square, erected in honor of one of the most famous and most esteemed men of France. I learned that this was the site of a duel between Dugesclin (1320-1380) and Thomas of Cantorbury (not Thomas a Beckett) to settle a dispute over the ransom of his brother, captured by Thomas. At this time he met his future wife and they were married in Dinan. Du Guesclin is revered in Brittany as a hero for his service to France during the 100 years war with England. There is a large statue of him on the square and a smaller gold statue in the Chateau museum; people are reminded of him almost everywhere in Dinan.

PORT OF DINAN: The port of Dinan is still active, known for the restaurants and shops and for the boats that traverse it. It is possible to sail along the estuary to the port of Saint-Malo on the English Channel. In the other direction, a tour boat goes inland along the Rance.
A long, winding, steeply graded street leads from the city walls down to the river. An old bridge spans the Rance and it is possible to drive over the bridge and onto another street that winds up the hill. A viaduct was built in the 19thc. to relieve traffic on the old bridge and to improve the circulation problem created by the difference between the level of the town and that of the port.

HALF-TIMBERED HOUSES: The most obvious appeal of Dinan are its half-timbered houses. Dinan still possesses over 300 of them, the second most important number in France. These remain today despite a fire in 1907 and bombing in 1944. Thanks to its highly praised restoration, the center of the city retains a medieval character. The wood-framed houses in Dinan are characterized by three major styles prevalent in each of three consecutive centuries. The houses with overhanging windows (encorbellement) date from the 15th c. Houses with porches forming an arcade over the street, as on Rue de l’Apport, favor commerce and date from the 16th c. There are also 17th c. houses with glass windows and shutters that opened down to form shelves where merchandise could be shown.

HOTEL DE BEAUMANOIR: The Hotel de Beaumanoir (rue Haute-Voie) was built by a nobleman who served alongside Du Guesclin and devoted his life to seeking justice, especially for the poor. This is a typical Breton manor house of the 16thc. It was converted to a Dominican convent in the 16th c, abandoned in mid-17th c (1664) for a new building and rented to merchants and artisans until the Revolution at which time it became the property of the state. Fire ravaged the hotel in 1943 but it was restored to its original state in 1947.

THEATRE: The Theatre des Jacobins is situated on the site of the Dominican convent dating from the 13th c. The original entrance to the chapel, to its left, is the only part of the convent that dates from this time.

SAINT SAUVEUR: The church of Saint Sauveur was built in the 12th c. according to the wishes of a returning crusader. Although it is a mix of styles, the ensemble is charming. The façade is Romanesque, composed of three portals decorated with mythical animals and surprising faces. Façade decorations represent the evangelists: a lion and a winged bull, symbols of Saint Mark and Saint Luke. A massive oak door in the center portal leads into the nave. It is simple and its columns are decorated only with leaves. The south wall is a series of roman arches.

There is an ornate plaque explaining that the heart of Du Guesclin is buried here. His body is buried along with those of the Kings of France in the royal abbey of Saint-Denis north of Paris – a remarkable honor for a man who was born into a peasant family, but one conferred on him because of his loyalty to his King and his great and honorable service to France during the Hundred Years War. It was not unusual at the time to bury the heart and body in two separate locations.

The modern stained glass windows of the church of St. Sauveur illustrate the life of the town and its inhabitants. I photographed several of them. The windows of the nobles of Dinan showed:
Jean III, Lord of Beaumanoir ( …1368), and a marshal of France, the highest military distinction in France; Anne of Brittany, Duchess of Brittany (1477-1514); Bertrand Du Guesclin, Connétable de France (1320-1380) that is, an officer of the crown and commander of the royal armies; and Charles de Blois (1320-1364), companion in arms to Du Guesclin.

CHATEAU DE LA DUCHESSE ANNE: The Chateau of the Duchess Anne, commonly called the chateau of Dinan, was a residence built by the Duke of Brittany, Jean IV in 1380, during the Hundred Years War. It symbolized the power of the duchy. It was built on four levels and assured the Duke’s comfort: large windows allowed a lot of light; chimney in each room and a latrine on each level, a sophisticated system to evacuate water, and a conduit to obtain water from a well. The ensemble was fortified in the 16th c when another tower was added; today a moat and drawbridge separate the chateau from the city and the ramparts. The dungeon never served the purpose usually associated with it; however, in the 19th c. it did serve as a prison for the English. A great view of the port of Dinan is visible from the ramparts.

The chateau is now a museum open to the public, recounting the history of Dinan since Roman times and illustrating life in the chateau. A wood sculpture in each room illustrates one aspect of the architecture or use of the room. Panels explain different aspects of medieval people: their beliefs and fears, their methods of warfare and survival, the kind of food they prepared, their clothing.

Dinan has a fair number of good restaurants located in the city and along the water, a few creperies, and many cafes. Its most famous restaurant, installed in an old (restored) half-timbered house, is La Mere Pourcel. I thought it was living on its reputation, but I went in anyway and was delighted with the ambiance and my order, a fish stew accompanied by sancerre wine. It seemed to be an ideal destination for tourists, but the restaurant was not crowded or noisy.

History was made by people and monuments erected by or for them, so I was excited to learn about all those who had come to Dinan or lived there during the past thousand years. Regardless of whether they contributed to the city’s prosperity or tried to destroy it (most notably William the Conquerer) their stories were important and I never tired of learning about them.