Saint Goustan medieval harbour of
Auray in Brittany |
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Auray (An Alre in Breton) is a commune of France, in the Morbihan
département. The "Alréens", as the inhabitants
of Auray are known, built their town on either side of a bridge
spanning the Loc’h
estuary in the Gulf of Morbihan. The historic priory settlement,
which became the port of St-Goustan, is still very much in evidence.
It remains almost intact despite the ravages of time and leads
through its gateways to the upper feudal and commercial town
which grew up around a fortress. The granite of its streets,
quaysides and house fronts continues to reflect the richness
of its past. This ancient town with its picturesque medieval
harbour of Saint-Goustan features an old stone bridge crossing
the rivière d'Auray. Auray's showpiece is undoubtedly
the ancient quarter of St-Goustan, with its
delightful fifteenth and sixteenth century houses. The bend
in the River Loch, an early defended site, was a natural setting
for a town and, with its easy access to the gulf, it
soon became one of the busiest ports of Brittany. Today, as you
look at it from the Promenade du Loch on the opposite bank, with
the small seventeenth century stone bridge still spanning the
river, it's not difficult to imagine it in its heyday. In 1776,
Benjamin Franklin landed here on his way to seek the help of
Louis XVI in the American War of Independence. |
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