Saint-Lunaire
Encyclopedia
Saint-Lunaire is a commune
in the Ille-et-Vilaine
department and in the Brittany region
in north-western France
.
This old fishing village is very popular for its old church, its beautiful beaches and the English-style houses on the Pointe du Décollé. In the summer, a lot of rich Parisians live there, and, with the near-by villages of Saint-Briac or Dinard
, it's possible to meet a lot of French "stars" in the area.
Fantastic viewpoints on the Pointe du Décollé, hill of La Garde Guérin and the Pointe du Nick.
Roman invasion little altered the ancient settlement of farmers-fishemen. The great changes occurred centuries later, with the Saxons
and Frisons invasions at the beginning of the VIth century. In 513, King Arthur
landed on the island of Cézembre
, just facing the coast, with the new King of Armorica, Hoël I. This new regime favoured the settlement of missionaries from Cornwall, and in particular one of King Hoël's sons, Saint Lunaire (or Léonor), together with saint Pompée (or Coupaia), Saint Tugdual's brother, or saint Sève and numerous monks and seculars, who started clearing the local forest of Ponthul and erected a first chapel on the location of the present "Old Church".
The story of Saint-Lunaire's settlement includes the episode of the bell granted by the local bishop, and the authority Saint-Lunaire received over all hamlets within hearing distance from the bell, which more or less corresponds to the old feudal seigneury of Ponthual, and afterwards the municipality of Saint-Lunaire. The legend stipulates that the inhabitants of a hamlet on the East bound of the territory tried to keep their independence, by denying having heard the bell, and this would have given today's name of the suburb of "La Fourberie" (the deceit), next to Dinard.
Saint-Léonor thus became the main borough of the seigneury of Ponthual, surrounded by various dependent hamlets, and family of Ponthual erected the Old Church ("la Vieille Eglise"), on the XIth century, one of the rather rare roman churches of Brittany.
The name of the little town changed to "Saint-Léonaire de Ponthual" at the end of the XVIIth century, and then "Saint-Lunaire de Ponthual".
In February 1790 Revolutionaries founded the first modern municipalty with the name of "Port-Lunaire", which lasted until 1803 when it definitively became "Saint-Lunaire". The town slowly expanded during the first half of the XIXth century, and when Victor Hugo
visited the area with Juliette Drouet
, he might have visited this little port of fishermen for preparing his novel on local fishermen, Toilers of the Sea
, in which (1869), in which a murder is committed at the end of the Decolle peninsula, in Saint-Lunaire.
By the end of the century, Saint-Lunaire changed radically. Local population first expanded with the development of Saint-Malo fishing activity, especially in Terre-Neuve
(an ex-voto kit vessel in the new church reminds the story of numerous sailors from Saint-Lunaire). Then local activity was boosted by the development of the town as fashionable sea resort.
Pursuant to the creation of Dinard
in the 1860's, a couple of holiday houses were built on the Decollé peninsula, starting with "La Trinité" by an Italian artist or various ones by baron de Kerpezdron.
Subsequently speculators erected the sea front on the main beach and the Grand Hotel with casino. By the turn of the century, private houses and luxury hotels multiplied, and these buildings are the remains of Saint-Lunaire's most fastuous era, when hosting celebrities, artists and intellectuals.
After WWII, tourists social life has never been revived, but Saint-Lunaire and its neighbour Saint-Briac-sur-Mer
have kept their fame as Brittany's two old elegants.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Ille-et-Vilaine
Ille-et-Vilaine
Ille-et-Vilaine is a department of France, located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country.- History :Ille-et-Vilaine is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
department and in the Brittany region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in north-western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
This old fishing village is very popular for its old church, its beautiful beaches and the English-style houses on the Pointe du Décollé. In the summer, a lot of rich Parisians live there, and, with the near-by villages of Saint-Briac or Dinard
Dinard
Dinard is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.Dinard is on the Côte d'Émeraude of Brittany. Its beaches and mild climate make it a popular holiday destination, and this has resulted in the town having a variety of famous visitors and residents...
, it's possible to meet a lot of French "stars" in the area.
Fantastic viewpoints on the Pointe du Décollé, hill of La Garde Guérin and the Pointe du Nick.
History
Neolitic settlement is evidenced with a stone path (dolmen) (2000 - 5000 BC) at Plate-Roche.Roman invasion little altered the ancient settlement of farmers-fishemen. The great changes occurred centuries later, with the Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
and Frisons invasions at the beginning of the VIth century. In 513, King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
landed on the island of Cézembre
Cézembre
Cézembre is an island in the Ille-et-Vilaine département of France, near Saint-Malo. The island is uninhabited, with a surface area of approximately 18 hectares , a length of 750 meters, and a width of 300 meters....
, just facing the coast, with the new King of Armorica, Hoël I. This new regime favoured the settlement of missionaries from Cornwall, and in particular one of King Hoël's sons, Saint Lunaire (or Léonor), together with saint Pompée (or Coupaia), Saint Tugdual's brother, or saint Sève and numerous monks and seculars, who started clearing the local forest of Ponthul and erected a first chapel on the location of the present "Old Church".
The story of Saint-Lunaire's settlement includes the episode of the bell granted by the local bishop, and the authority Saint-Lunaire received over all hamlets within hearing distance from the bell, which more or less corresponds to the old feudal seigneury of Ponthual, and afterwards the municipality of Saint-Lunaire. The legend stipulates that the inhabitants of a hamlet on the East bound of the territory tried to keep their independence, by denying having heard the bell, and this would have given today's name of the suburb of "La Fourberie" (the deceit), next to Dinard.
Saint-Léonor thus became the main borough of the seigneury of Ponthual, surrounded by various dependent hamlets, and family of Ponthual erected the Old Church ("la Vieille Eglise"), on the XIth century, one of the rather rare roman churches of Brittany.
The name of the little town changed to "Saint-Léonaire de Ponthual" at the end of the XVIIth century, and then "Saint-Lunaire de Ponthual".
In February 1790 Revolutionaries founded the first modern municipalty with the name of "Port-Lunaire", which lasted until 1803 when it definitively became "Saint-Lunaire". The town slowly expanded during the first half of the XIXth century, and when Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
visited the area with Juliette Drouet
Juliette Drouet
Juliette Drouet, born Julienne Josephine Gauvain was a French actress. She abandoned her career on the stage after becoming the mistress of Victor Hugo, to whom she acted as a secretary and travelling companion...
, he might have visited this little port of fishermen for preparing his novel on local fishermen, Toilers of the Sea
Toilers of the Sea
Toilers of the Sea , is a novel by Victor Hugo.The book is dedicated to the island of Guernsey, where Hugo spent 15 years in exile.The story concerns a Guernseyman named Gilliatt, a social outcast who falls in love with Deruchette, the niece of a local shipowner, Mess Lethierry...
, in which (1869), in which a murder is committed at the end of the Decolle peninsula, in Saint-Lunaire.
By the end of the century, Saint-Lunaire changed radically. Local population first expanded with the development of Saint-Malo fishing activity, especially in Terre-Neuve
Terre-Neuve
Terre-Neuve can refer to these locations:* Terre-Neuve, Artibonite, a municipality in Haiti* Terre-Neuve, Saint Barthélemy, quartier of Saint Barthélemy* Newfoundland , in French is Terre-Neuve...
(an ex-voto kit vessel in the new church reminds the story of numerous sailors from Saint-Lunaire). Then local activity was boosted by the development of the town as fashionable sea resort.
Pursuant to the creation of Dinard
Dinard
Dinard is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.Dinard is on the Côte d'Émeraude of Brittany. Its beaches and mild climate make it a popular holiday destination, and this has resulted in the town having a variety of famous visitors and residents...
in the 1860's, a couple of holiday houses were built on the Decollé peninsula, starting with "La Trinité" by an Italian artist or various ones by baron de Kerpezdron.
Subsequently speculators erected the sea front on the main beach and the Grand Hotel with casino. By the turn of the century, private houses and luxury hotels multiplied, and these buildings are the remains of Saint-Lunaire's most fastuous era, when hosting celebrities, artists and intellectuals.
After WWII, tourists social life has never been revived, but Saint-Lunaire and its neighbour Saint-Briac-sur-Mer
Saint-Briac-sur-Mer
Saint-Briac-sur-Mer , is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine Department of Brittany in north-western France.-Demographics:Inhabitants of Saint-Briac-sur-Mer are called Briacins.As of the census of 1999, the town had a population of...
have kept their fame as Brittany's two old elegants.
Historical monuments
Two historical monuments are registered in Saint-Lunaire:- La vieille église, the Old Church, restored in 1954 .XIth century nave is surrounded with two smaller sides, and joins the choir (sole gohic part of this roman style church) by a triumphic arch. Side chapels host the graves of local lords, the Pontual and Pontbriand families. In the middle of the nave a gallo-roman sarcophagusSarcophagusA sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
with a posterious engraved lid is presumed Saint-Lunaire's grave (although buried in various other locations), and folk traditions used to see bride and grooms roll under the grave for good luck.
- As always, the Old Church was surrounded by the graveyard. But the latter was removed in the 1950's, and the XVIth calvary only remains on the South side of the church, with two noticeable sides, the Christ on the East Side and the Holy Mary with her Son on the west one.