Celtic Treasures

Brief History of Brittany

After the collapse of the Roman Empire, large scale migration from Britain led to the foundation of British colonies linked initially to homelands in Cornwall and Wales. The independent Breton kingdom later developed into the Duchy of Brittany, before it was unified with France to become a province. After the French Revolution Brittany was abolished as an administrative unit, but continued to retain its distinctive cultural identity. Its administrative existence was reconstituted, in reduced size, as the Region of Brittany in the mid-20th century.

Breton Treasures

Pol Aorelian -

Paul Aurelian (also known, in Breton as Pol Aorelian and, in Latin, as Paulinus Aurelianus) is a 6th century Welsh saint, who became one of the seven founder saints of Brittany.
His hagiographic Life was completed in 884 by a Breton monk named Wrmonoc of Landévennec.
Paul was the son of a Welsh chieftain named Perphirius/Porphyrius ("clad in purple"), from Penychen in Glamorgan. Paul became a pupil of Saint Illtud at Llantwit Major and on Caldey Island, like Saints Samson of Dol, Gildas and David.
He later visited King Mark of Cornwall and founded the church at Paul, before moving on to Brittany to establish monasteries at Lampaul on the island of Ushant, on the island of Batz (where he later died) and at Ocsimor, now the city of Saint-Pol-de-Léon in Finistère. He was consecrated bishop there under the authority of Childebert, King of the Franks. Paul was a vegetarian.
He was first buried at Saint-Pol-de-Léon, but his relics were later transferred to Fleury near Orléans. His bell is still kept at Saint-Pol however. Gilbert Hunter Doble thought he might be the same man as Saint Paulinus of Wales. His feast day is 12 March.

Banner of St Pol at Lampaul-Guimiliau, Brittany.