Quimper, City of Art and History

Quimper, City of Art and History

Quimper, City of Art and History

Quimper has been awarded the label City of Art and History thanks to the quality of its architectural heritage: St Corentin Cathedral, the houses of the 16th and 17th centuriesème and XVIIème The city's medieval town and the 19th century footbridges are a perfect setting for a visit to the ramparts and the quays of the Odet, the Locmaria district, the museums, the lively shopping streets, the medieval town and the 19th century footbridges.ème century, find the echoes of the market...

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From St Corentin's Cathedral to the Bishops' Palace

The birth of Quimper, City of Art and History, is here within sight. The St Corentin cathedral and the Bishops' Palace stand on the Place St Corentin, the vital core of the walled city.

In 1239, Bishop Reynaud decided to build St Corentin's cathedral on the foundations of an old Romanesque church. Adjacent to the cathedral, the Bishops' Palace houses the Breton Departmental Museum. Under the Ancien Régime, this palace was the residence of the bishop of Cornouaille, who was also the lord of the walled city of Quimper. Until the middle of the XIXème In the 19th century, successive bishops remodelled, enlarged and restored this residence. The present building was constructed between 1645 and 1647 by the Quimper architect Bertrand Moussin.

[Click here to see the cathedral's data sheet].

The Episcopal city and the ramparts of Quimper, City of Art and History

A belt of ramparts delimits the original core of the town. In this small area, which concentrates all the activities of the city, the houses of the canons and the bourgeois were built.

The timber-framed houses of Quimper, a Town of Art and History, are part of the urban landscape. Testimony to medieval know-how, these buildings have marked out the centuries, from the 14th century to the present day.ème in the XIXèmeThe houses are a real puzzle of wood and are the pride of most Breton towns. Thanks to them, it is possible to imagine Quimper at a time when two powers competed, the bishop in the walled city and the dukes on the other bank of the Steïr.

The city of the Dukes of Brittany

In the Terre au Duc, the former Ursuline convent, now the Alain Gérard Media Library, and various private mansions are located. It is also the location of the Théâtre de Cornouaille.

Until the end of the 19th century, the name "Terre au Duc" was used to designate theème In the 19th century, the area between the Steïr, the Odet and the suburb of Bourg-les-bourgs. Originally, this area belonged to the Duke, who had installed the symbols of his power there: a court house, a prison, a mill and communal ovens.

Locmaria, primitive site of Quimper, City of Art and History

The Locmaria district is located on the left bank of the Odet, south of the walled city and St Corentin cathedral. From the installation of the Quimper earthenware the working-class character of the district was affirmed, Locmaria became a popular district with numerous small houses and hovels with its church (XIème and XIIème) and its priory (XVIIème and XVIIIème) which was home to a community of Benedictine nuns.

Locmaria Abbey is the oldest Christian settlement in the town. The abbey church of Notre Dame is a perfect example of the early Romanesque art in Brittany.

[Click here to discover the inventory sheet of the Church of Our Lady of Locmaria].

Audio guided tours of Quimper

Quimper, "City of Art and History", has more than one marvel to share with you, with pleasure as the main theme. Discover the history of the Place Saint Corentin (n°1)by René Madec (n°2)of the François Mitterrand esplanade (n°3)of the chapel of Notre Dame de Locmaria (n°4)and the Max Jacob footbridge (n°5) by listening to or downloading our audio tours.

Discover also Quimper thanks to the application IziTravel.
The Maison du Patrimoine offers three official routes. These are geo-located with explanations that are triggered once you arrive near the site to be discovered.

Search for Quimper on izi.travel to download the tours officials :
 Quimper Discovery Route [official].
♦ Diversions to Locmaria - Quimper [official]
♦ Quimper along the Odet [official].