Discover Langonnet
Life in Langonnet may seem quiet these days, but history proves that this was not always the case. The town has even seen some particularly turbulent times!
The turbulent history of Langonnet
Langonnet was founded in the 6th century, when the Bretons emigrated from Great Britain. A lot has happened since then!
King Morvan, defender of freedom
In 818, tired of the insubordination of the Bretons, Emperor Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, gathered his troops to confront their king, Morvan Lez-Breizh ("the support of Brittany"). It was he who reigned in central Brittany. The emperor set up camp on the banks of the Ellé at Priziac, probably near Langonnet Abbey. The campaign lasted for months. King Morvan was killed in a battle between Priziac and Langonnet. He embodied the resistance to the ambitions of the Empire.
The different lives of Notre-Dame de Langonnet Abbey
The calm that prevails at Notre-Dame Abbey today is not representative of its history. Founded in 1136, the abbey was ravaged by the Wars of Religion in the 16th century. The monks were expelled in 1598, only to return to find it in ruins. It was then rebuilt.
The French Revolution marked the end of the monks' presence at the Abbey, which became a rendezvous for the Chouans.
Eventually, a Republican garrison moved in and the Abbey became Brittany's first public stud farm under Napoleon I! The stud was transferred to Hennebont in 1857.
That same year, it became the property of the Congrégation du Saint-Esprit and a rest home for missionaries in 1898.
A museum of African art at Notre-Dame Abbey
After all these upheavals, Notre-Dame Abbey still has plenty to surprise us!
It currently houses the Musée Africain. Created in memory of the missionaries who set out to discover new worlds, it contains objects from daily and religious life, weapons, statuettes, masks, etc. It is a tribute to the cultural richness of the people of Africa.
Life in Langonnet today
Away from all the hustle and bustle of history, what a pleasure it is today to take a quiet stroll along Langonnet's beautiful footpaths! The rolling countryside is superb on the Saint-Maur/Minez-Levenez trail or the Roi Morvan trail.
You'll also love the walk around the Pontigou pond. Motorhomes and caravans will find this a very pleasant place to stop off.
Heritage experts may be more interested in the church of Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul, a rare example of a Romanesque church in Central Brittany, along with those in Priziac and Ploërdut. And don't miss the Trinité-Langonnet church, superbly renovated between 2017 and 2022, at the foot of the Montagnes Noires.
Langonnet is also a town where culture is omnipresent in all its forms: traditional and contemporary music, dance, contemporary art...
Truly, life is good in Langonnet!
