Discover Persquen
Persquen is a very long municipality. It is 7 km long and only 3 km wide. Among its many villages, two stand out for their size and religious heritage.
The village and chapel of Pénéty
The village of Pénéty once had a presbytery, a school and shops, but today only a few houses and the Notre-Dame chapel remain.
The chapel was built following an apparition of the Virgin Mary to the ploughman René Guillemot. According to legend, she asked him to build a chapel here. Not being rich enough to satisfy such a request, René Guillemot went to the château de Penvern to ask the squires for money, and they agreed to build the chapel at their own expense.
A statue of a farmer in Breton costume kneeling before the Virgin can be seen in a niche behind the altar.
Thanks to this miracle, the chapel once became a popular place of pilgrimage. Many ex-votos can still be seen there, thanking Notre-Dame for the blessings she has bestowed.
As you walk around the chapel, you come to the devotional fountain. Its water is reputed to cure ringworm.
The village and chapel of Saint-Vincent
Like Pénéty, Saint-Vincent was a large village. It had a presbytery, a cemetery and even a church. It was dedicated to Saint Roch, one of the saints most often called upon to cure the plague. When the village became part of Persquen, the church and presbytery were abandoned and fell into ruin. In 1679, with the agreement of the Lords of Penvern, the present chapel was built on the site of the old church. It is dedicated to Saint Vincent.
The village, then known as Milizac, took the name of Saint-Vincent following the construction of this chapel.
Today, the small cemetery adjoining the chapel can still be seen, as can the fountain located around 300 m away.
Kerhoël is another interesting village. Although it never attained the importance of Pénéty or Saint-Vincent, it is worth noting that it was here that the famous Marion du Faouët took refuge for around 7 years. But that's another story...
A short hiking trail
A short, pleasant walking loop takes you through these villages. Leaving from Pénéty, the Le rond de Saint-Vincent trail is just 5.5 km long. So, without being a great walker, you can see the two chapels mentioned above, the fountains, the streams... You'll also enjoy pretty views over the valleys. Persquen's footpaths are a pleasure to walk!
