Moncontour

This was my first glimpse of the charm of Breton towns and I was impressed. I loved every minute of my visit. Moncontour was built in the 11th c. on a rocky promontory. Already it was an administrative capital of the Count of Penthièvre. The existing enclosure was eventually strengthened, leaving only one entrance to the village, and a dungeon (tower) was built there to protect it. Further modifications continued into the
12th c. and ramparts were added in the 13th and 14th centuries. In the late 14th c. some restoration was needed and a chateau was built. The chateau was destroyed in 1626 on the orders of Richelieu. Today only parts of the fortifications and chateau are visible, the rest having been filled in by other construction.

By the 18th c. the quality of fabrics made by weavers in Moncontour and sold by its merchants was renowned. The town was an important stop on trade routes from Amsterdam to Cadiz and accounted for much of its prosperity. Most of the town’s elegant homes date from this period.

I had not gone very far before I heard English. I turned to see an English couple holding hands and smiling. I must have said hello to them because we had an extended conversation. They told me they live near Vannes, having moved from England 20 years ago. It was obvious they were having a great time in Moncontour. They told me they never wanted to go back to England, that they loved their life here. We took photos and I listened to their advice about sites I should not miss on my walk through the town. I would have liked to meet them again, but they were ready to leave.


I continued in the direction they had suggested. A walk through the narrow streets led to half-timbered houses, colorful business signs hanging overhead, gardens suspended from the ramparts, and the church of St. Mathurin. It was hard to imagine that such a small village had its share of battles, revolts, and sieges during the last millennium that affected what is visible today. Only one monument suggested any struggle at all: a small plaque affixed to a wall explaining that Francois de la Noué, a companion of Henri IV, died in 1591 near this spot while defending the monarchy in the Wars of Religion. De la Noué was a Huguenot leader, a target of the extremist Catholic Leaque that sought to rid France of protestants; Henry IV promoted their freedom of worship when he issued the very famous and important Edict of Nantes in 1598.


Two small museums, illustrate other aspects of Moncontour’s history. A Museum of Costumes, built by a woman who worked in the theatre, displays costumes from the Middle Ages to 1900. Another museum explains the history of the Chouannerie, a rebellion against the French Revolution to protest the law subordinating the Catholic church to the French republic. Moncontour remained republican; but it was surrounded by Chouans, as the supporters of the movement were known. It is unusual to find two museums in a small village; however, each occupies only a few rooms, one in an historic house, the other in part of the tourist office.

The church of Saint Mathurin is notable for six stained glass windows from the 16th c when the church was built, and for an organ loft. The church itself was restored in the 18th. Saint Yves is everywhere in Brittany, not only on church windows. He was a lawyer and jurist, born in 1253. He studied at the University of Paris and returned to Brittany in the period when barbarian law began to be modified by canon law. But he was a priest and he devoted his life to helping the poor. He is often shown dressed in a judge’s robes in between a rich man and a poor man. He is depicted this way in the Window of St. Yves, wearing a white coat decorated with ermine (a symbol of Brittany), violet shoes and a red beret to match his cape and undergarments. He is holding a roll of court proceedings. The date 1537 appears twice in the window.