Le Quiou: History and Landscape

Le Quiou brings together historic buildings, an important archaeological site and a nature area with a distinctive geological story. Its history spans the settlement of the Villa Gallo-Romaine du Quiou between the 1st and 4th centuries, the 15th-century Château de Hac and the 19th-century Notre-Dame parish church. These differences can help you choose what to focus on: Roman archaeology, architectural styles or a walk to Hazardière.

Architectural history and ecclesiastical details

Château de Hac was built between 1440 and 1448 for Jean Hingant, chamberlain to the Duke of Brittany. It is made almost entirely of Faluns limestone.

Notre-Dame parish church was built between 1864 and 1866 in the Neo-Gothic style; its floor plan is in the shape of a Latin cross. The term describes the layout of the building and adds a second architectural point of reference to its style. The church also contains a reused 15th-century credence table from the former church. This older furnishing points to the predecessor building and dates from well before the present church was built.

The Chapelle du Haut-Tréveleuc offers a related but distinct architectural point of reference: its credence table, set into the wall, bears painted geometric motifs from the Renaissance. At Notre-Dame, the credence table dates from the 15th century and was reused from the former church. The chapel’s portal features an archivolt decorated with quillons and a coat of arms of the Plumaugat family, the lords who were at the origin of the settlement in 1583. An archivolt is the arched frame around a portal. The Chapelle can be visited during the Journées du patrimoine or by prior arrangement with the owners.

The Roman villa

The Villa Gallo-Romaine du Quiou is one of the major ancient archaeological sites in the Côtes-d’Armor department. It was settled as a farming estate from the 1st to the 4th century. Unlike Château de Hac, which was built between 1440 and 1448, the focus here is on the settlement of an estate. Guided visits make the archaeology accessible to visitors. The two sites therefore differ not only in their periods, but also in the kind of history they tell: the villa is about an inhabited estate, while the château is about the construction of a building for a named patron.

Hazardière and the Voie Verte

The Espace naturel sensible de la Hazardière is open to the public. Its limestone subsoil is unique in Brittany; 15 million years ago, the Faluns sea covered the area. As well as practical information for visitors, the site offers a geological perspective reaching far back beyond the historic buildings.

A walking loop connects the Espace naturel sensible with the local Voie Verte. It forms part of the V3 (Saint-Malo–Rhuys), which includes a former railway line converted into a Voie Verte that served Le Quiou. The nature area and the route can therefore be understood in terms of different interests: Hazardière represents limestone subsoil and geological history, the loop offers a walking connection, and the Voie Verte tells the story of the former railway line.

Discover more destinations: Le Merzer, Trezelan, Henon, Trézény, Hengoat, La Prénessaye, Cavan, Lezardrieux

For the broader travel overview: Côtes-D’armor.