Bazouges-la-Pérouse: Petite Cité de Caractère
Bazouges-la-Pérouse is a Gallo-Roman fortified town in the Ille-et-Vilaine department and this beautiful town is a member of the official Association of Petites Cités de Caractère (Small Towns of Character). As we shared in our Petites Cités de Caractère de Bretagne post, to qualify for inclusion in this Association a town must meet a strict criteria of being considered rural due to their small population, but at the same time urban because of their strong history and heritage.
Why does Bazouges-la-Pérouse qualify as a Small Town of Character?
Bazouges-la-Pérouse has a strong religious origin with evidence that Christianity dominated twice in the history of this town, once in the Gallo-Roman period and then by the Bretons.
The two churches of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which unusually were built side by side, evidence the two waves of Christianisation. These two churches being built side by side formed six naves but in the 9th century were reconstructed into a single church.
Coming forward in time to the 16th century, Bazouges-la-Pérouse was primarily a farming and trade town. It has been estimated that around this time it had more than 5,000 inhabitants and even today you can see how prosperous the town was by the buildings built at that time. The manor house Le Colombier in the Place de la Mairie was most likely the residence of the former lords of Bazouges and it is worth a look. It stands imposing in the centre of town.
What To Do In Bazouges-la-Pérouse
Also worth a look in the town is the Place du Monument, the Maison de Pendus and the window belonging to the house of the former king’s prosecutor. Maison de Pendus translated to ‘House of the Hanged Men’, displays strange grimacing masks which I can only think relate to the history of the house. The window belonging to the king’s prosecutor has been given pride of place in the building it has been relocated to, and is amazingly built into the corner of the building.
Just outside of the town, the gardens of Chateau de la Ballue (Les Jardins du Château de la Ballue) are a beautiful place to visit. The sculptured hedges, trees and flower beds are fabulous and the view of the surrounding lands from within the garden is breathtaking.
Bazouges-la-Pérouse – Town Of Poets And Artists
Bazouges-la-Pérouse is the home town of French poetess Angèle Vannier who was born on 12 August 1917 and died on 2 December 1980. She lived in her family home Le Châelet with her grandmother in her early life, was then schooled in Rennes and later died in Bazouges-la-Pérouse.
The town is now home to poets and creative artists and many shops have been turned into art galleries and artists’ studios. I love how a town can evolve and change through history but still be relevant today to its residents and tourists. This is a great Petite Cité de Caractère in Brittany.
Map of Bazouges-la-Pérouse, Brittany, France
New here to our series on Petites Cités de Caractère de Bretagne? Then read these other articles in the series on more dreamy French towns and make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss any of the 22 beautiful towns that we’ll be featuring in this series.
Other Articles Featuring Small Towns of Character in Brittany
Bécherel – Petites Cité de Caractère de Bretagne
