Montfort-sur-Meu is a town in the department of Ille-et-Vilaine in Brittany. It is in northwest France, 20km from Rennes and surrounded by Iffendic, Bédée, La Nouaye, Breteil, Pleumeleuc, Talensac, and Saint-Gonlay.
Understand
It is noted as the birthplace of the Roman Catholic Saint Louis de Montfort, who is considered to be the pioneer of the field of mariology. The saint's birthplace is at 15, rue de la Saulnerie. It is now jointly owned by the three Montfort congregations he formed: the Community of the Holy Spirit, the Daughters of Wisdom, and the Brothers of Saint Gabriel. It is the destination of frequent pilgrimages.
The town is at the convergence of the Meu River and the Garun River, in a farmland region. It was in the past in the "Poutrecoët" ("the district in the woods"), because it was covered by the forest of Brocéliande. It is the administrative town of a county.
Get in
By car
- RN12 (Rennes - Saint-Brieuc), exit Montfort-Bédée-Pleumeleuc.
- RN24 (Rennes - Vannes-Lorient), exit Talensac-Montfort.
By plane
The closest airport is in Rennes.
By train
Montfort-sur-Meu train station has direct services to and from Rennes.
By bus
The following Illenoo (dead link: March 2023) bus services connect Montfort and the surrounding area to neighbouring towns and cities.
line 1 : Talensac
line 2 : Breteil, Iffendic, La Nouaye, Montfort-sur-Meu
line 7a : Bédée
line 7b : Bédée, Pleumeleuc
line 12 : Bédée
Get around
See
- Abbey Saint Jacques. Built in 1152 by Guillaume I of Montfort, the church was consecrated in 1156 and rebuilt during the 14th century. It is classified as a historical monument. In 1976, a fire destroyed the upper part of the walls of the church.
- Chapel Saint Joseph. The chapel was built to replace the former parish church of Saint Jean, destroyed in 1851.
- Chapel Saint Lazare. At the beginning of the 18th century, when Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort settled in Saint-Lazare, he restored the chapel.
- Church of Montfort-Sur-Meu. It is dedicated to Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort and is dated 14th century. It is of an Italian inspiration with its bell tower in the shape of a campanile, and houses the statue of Saint Louis-Marie Grignion, born in Montfort-sur-Meu (Possible to visit his native house).
- Cultural Centre l'Avant-scène. In 1914 the building of a municipal hall was started. It was finished after the war. The building housed the town's first cinema which could accommodate 400 persons. Nowadays, the building is a cultural centre which offers many shows during the year.
- Forest of Montfort. It stretches over a few hundred hectares. Several marked paths allow going across this wooden limestone, by foot, by horse, and for some people, by bike.
- Hôtel Montfort Communauté. During the 18th century, this building was a hotel for the Juguet family, notables who settled in 1777. In 1857, the sub-prefecture settled at this place until 1926. During the 20th century, the hospital built an annex here. In 2002, Montfort Communauté bought the building and restored it.
- Medieval Town Wall. To protect the marches of Brittany, the dukes fortified the big towns. In 1376, Raoul VII got an authorisation to transform the castle into a defensive fortress. Around the castle, an important fortification was built with towers and 3 doors. The Tower of Papegaut, the Tower of Pas d'Âne, the Tower of Capitaine, and parts of the former fortifications can still be found today.
- Mills and Planks on the Meu. An old mill from the year 1884 is on the street called "rue du 11 juin 1977". At the time, it was also equipped with a footbridge called "planks", which crossed the Meu River and linked "Mills Street".
- Old Houses. The former development of Montfort left traces in the building of houses. Today, we can find dozens of houses which were built between 1550 and 1650. They are on the oldest streets of the town. The birthplace of Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort can also be found on one of these streets.
- Papegaut Tower. Dated 14th century. It is the best preserved element from the medieval town of Montfort-Sur-Meu and the most representative. The tower is known as "Papegaut" because of a contest for archers and crossbowmen in which the target was a multicoloured bird. During the 19th and the 20th centuries, the tower became a prison. Since 1984, it has housed the museum of Montfort. The tower is classified as a historical monument by a decree on 5 November 1926. The museum invites you to discover the culture of the district where history and legends are very close. Different permanent exhibitions are offered (the duck legend, the architecture of the district of Brocéliande, Montfort during the Middle Ages, 19th and 20th century clothing, games about nature).
- Public Baths & Laundry. The building is probably from the end of the 19th century. In the lower part were cubicles for public baths and a place reserved for boilers. The first floor, protected by wooden laths was where washerwomen used to dry their laundry.
- Town Hall. Today, the town hall is in the former Ursuline convent, dating from 1639.
- Tribunal d'Instance. In 1799, Montfort became the headquarters of a sub-prefecture and a courthouse. It was built between 1832 and 1834. The difference between the old houses in the medieval town and the courthouse show the break between the middle-class elite and the former power of aristocrats.
Do
Legacy and botanic path. This path enables to discover the nature in the region.
Montfort Ecomuseum, 2, rue du Château, +33 2 99 09 31 81, ecomusee@club-internet.fr. Between 1 October and 31 March: Tuesday to Friday: 08:30 - 12:00 and 14:00 - 18:00; Between 1 April and 30 September: Monday to Friday: 08:30 - 12:00 and 14:00 - 18:00, Saturday: 10:00 - 12:00 and 14:00 - 18:00, Sunday: 14:00 - 18:00. Located in Papegaut Tower, the ecomuseum offers information and exhibitions relating to the local area - including some of the local legends. Exhibitions include the duck legend, the architecture of the district of Brocéliande, Montfort during the Middle Ages, clothing from the 19th and 20th century, and interactive games. €4 adults, €3 students (with ID), €2 children 2018-12-24
Buy
- Perette. Delicatessen. Salted and sweet products, fresh and organic products, wines, alcohols and spirits. Local and Breton products, confectionery, Cluizel chocolate. 2018-12-24
Eat
- Chez Philippe. Traditional cooking with fresh ingredients.
- Crêperie la Golotte. Specialized in "galettes de blé noir au sarrazin breton" (kind of crepe made with buckwheat flour) and crepes.
- La Perles des Rizières. Asian cooking and Vietnamese specialities. Housed in a wood-sided house.
- La Scala. Pizzeria.
- La tour. Traditional cooking and house specialities.
Drink
- Bar de la Gare, 20, rue Gare.
- Le Galop'1, 15, place Cohue.
- Le Papegault, 22, rue Saint Nicolas.
Sleep
Go next
The towns next to Montfort-sur-Meu are Iffendic, Bédée, La Nouaye, Breteil and Talensac, but you can also find Saint-Gonlay and Pleumeleuc nearby.