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Les
Rochers Sculptés
"Abbé
Adolphe-Julien Fouré, with the aid of an elderly helper,
spent 25 years carving the granite rocks of the Brittany shoreline at
Rothéneuf. Abbé Fouré was partly
paralysed by a stroke and had lost his hearing and speech. In his
isolation, he was inspired by old tales of a local pirate clan."
"The carvings, numbering over 300 pieces, depict legendary pirate
adventurers, fishermen, smugglers, and monsters and allegorical scenes."
"Begun in 1870, the Carved Rocks have a timeless quality; although many
were carved from free standing rocks, others follow the natural
contours of the shore. Fouré was also a prolific wood
carver, but his underground gallery of wooden sculptures was destroyed
by fire during the Allied advance in 1944, and only a few works have
survived."
- From "Fantasy
Worlds" by Deidi Von Schaewen
and John Maizels
The
figures
depict the lives of the Rothéneuf
family, a family of fishermen, sailors, and smugglers that lived in the
area from the 15th - 18th century. They reputedly gained great eyesight
from drinking water rich in various elements. They meet their eventual
demise at the hands of the French revolution, a huge storm, and a sea
serpent. The story, and descriptions of the characters depicted, can be
read in a booklet available at the entrance kiosk for a few Euros. It
is worth the price. It also includes some old photos showing many more
sculptures that are now gone, as the ones there now will be eventually.
By the way, the beach is a very nice place to sit and look at stuff.
Hours
Daily 10 - 6
Directions
Chemin des Rochers Sculptés
Rothéneuf, near Saint-Malo
Tel: +33(0)2 99 56 97 64.
You can get to Rothéneuf by way of Saint-Malo, or you can
avoid
the traffic by cutting through Parame. The rocks are on the
coast.
When you find Rue de
l' Abbé Fouré, you're close. There are signs to
the
beach. If you find the Hotel Terminus, it is right around the corner.
To the left of the hotel is a pretty good restaurant, reasonably priced.
According to the map, it is possible to get to Rothéneuf
by way of by way of Cancale and Saint-Coulomb, but we were
unsuccessful. In fact, we got lost in a way that simply defied the laws
of physics. Truly uncanny.
More information
Photos
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