Two half-timbered houses on Place Saint-Sauveur at the port of Saint-Goustan, Brittany, France
Some background information:
The port of Saint-Goustan is a former fishing harbour and trading centre located beside the Auray river. It is named after Saint Goustan, the patron saint of sailors and fishermen and dates back at least to the 12th century. In modern times Saint-Goustan has become one of the quarters of the town of Auray in the French department of Morbihan in Brittany.
The Breton name of the Auray river is Loc’h. It has its source near the commune of Plaudren from where it flows southwestern bound into the Gulf of Morbihan near the little harbour town of Locmariaquer and hence, into the Atlantic Ocean. The river has a length of 56 kilometres (35 miles) and its estuary is more than 10 kilometres (6 miles) long. Saint-Goustan is alreay situated at the river’s estuary and from there the river has to cover just a distance of another 7 kilometres (4.3 miles) before it reaches the Gulf of Morbihan.
A documented examination of port taxation in 1537 illustrates the commercial activity in Saint-Goustan: At that time, wine, salt, leather, iron and Biscay steel where imported, while conversely, wheat, rye, oats, butter, meat, fish, cloth and fabrics were exported. In 1641, the development of a larger port was completed, with the construction of a wharf and two ramps between the old pier, which had been built in 1615. Around 1680, the dock in front of the Place Saint-Sauveur was extended further.
In 1776, the famous diplomat, physicist and engineer Benjamin Franklin landed in Saint-Goustain to ask for French aid in the American War of Independence. Today, the port’s wharf is named after him. In 1936, it collapsed, but its reconstruction was already completed in 1939. The dock is adjacent to restaurants and hotels now. And it has also become a venue for markets, art exhibitions, sales of postcards, a carousel and other seasonal activities, as well as sailing instruction.
The town of Auray, to which the port of Saint-Goustan belongs, is located about 17 kilometres (10.5 miles) to the west of the city of Vannes, about 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) to the southeast of the city of Lorient and about 7 kilmetres (4.3 miles) to the north of the Gulf of Morbihan. It has more than 23,000 residents and is traversed by the Auray river. The town is situated on the river’s first crossing point from the mouth of the river located downstream. Hence, it always had a strategically important position through the centuries.
Auray was first mentioned in a document in 1069. In 1168, the town was taken by the Henry II, King of England. Originally, Auray was located on a promontory at the edge of a plateau, from where the coastal river and the port of Saint-Goustan could be overlooked. At the time, when it was occuppied by the troops of Henry II, it already had a castle, which was erected in the 11th century. In 1201, the castle was rebuilt for Arthur I, Duke of Brittany and the designated heir to the throne of England. In the decades that followed, the castle was the residence of several dukes of Brittany.
In 1341 Charles de Blois, the legitimate candidate for the crown of Brittany, took possession of the Château d'Auray. He resided there until his death in 1364 at the Battle of Auray. This battle took place on the nearby plateau of Rostevel. It ended with the defeat of the troops of Charles de Blois and Bertrand du Guesclin by the english troops of John V, Earl of Montfort-l’Amaury and alo Earl of Richmond. The Battle of Auray also put an end to the War of the Breton Succession and John V became the new Duke of Brittany.
In 1442, the Château d'Auray was the location of the wedding of Francis I, Duke of Brittany, and Isabella of Scotland. But subsequently, the castle fell into decay. In the 16th century, its demolition was decided and in 1559, its stones were sold and transported to the island of Belle-Île, where they were used to build a fort. In 1626, a Capuchin convent was founded in Auray, and in 1632, also a Clarisse convent was brought into being.
In 1776, at the beginning of the American War of Independence, Benjamin Franklin landed at the port of Saint-Goustan, to request military aid from France under Louis XVI. In 1778, France actually intervened in the war, and hence, was jointly responsible for the British defeat of 1781. After the French Revolution, Auray became the capital of a district from 1790 to 1795.
The second Battle of Auray took place in 1795, during the so-called Chouannerie, which was an armed revolt of Catholic royalists. After a royalist division hat entrenched themselves behind the walls of Auray, the town was attached by Republican forces. The royalist revolt was finally broken and the counterrevolution was put to a stop. A third Battle of Auray was waged during the Chouannerie of 1815. But the result remained the same and the royalists were defeated again.
During World War II, the railway station of Auray was a transit point for the concrete used to build numerous bunkers of the Atlantic Wall on the coast of the region. On March 1, 2020, the town of Auray was one of the first French centres of the coronavirus epidemic. The town still has a beautiful historic district and serves as the gateway to the popular Presqu'île de Quiberon. Furthermore, it benefits from its privileged position between the cities of Lorient and Vannes.
