Small heritage remarkable

In “remarkable small heritage”, there is above all“remarkable“! It refers to elements, built or natural, that bear witness to past religious, agricultural or craft practices.

Statue of the Bigoudène in Pors-Poulhan

The border between Cap-Sizun and the Bigouden region is at the sheltered port of Pors-Poulhan.

On the southern shore stands a statue of the Bigouden woman gazing out to sea. This work was sculpted in 1938 in Plozévet, in a public school classroom converted into a studio, by the famous artist René Quillivic from Plouhinec (who also sculpted the statue of the bellringers in Plozévet).

Its base reads“Ama echu bro Bigouden”, a Breton inscription meaning “Here ends the Bigouden country”.

©The Bigoudène statue - Pors Poulhan|T. Poriel

©The statue of the Pipers - Plozévet|C. Dameron

Statue of the bellringers in Plozévet

This work by the sculptor René Quillivic was created in 1908 as a tribute to the many ringers in Plozévet.

In spring 2024, the emblematic statue of the Pipers was once again moved to the Place Henri Normant in Plozévet, opposite the tourist office.

To mark the occasion, the bronze statue was cleaned and given a patina.

Monument to the Bigoudens in Pont-l'Abbé

The monument to the Bigoudens, created in 1931 by granite and bronze sculptor François Bazin, depicts Bigouden women at the five ages of life: grandmother, mother, sister, young daughter and granddaughter.

There are no men in this sculpture. The anguish of waiting is clear to see; sadness and resignation can be read on the faces of these five women.

On either side of the granite block, two bronze bas-reliefs depict scenes from Celtic mythology.

Monument to the Bigoudens

©The Bigouden monument in Pont-l'Abbé|E. Cléret

The wash-houses

Wash-houses tell the story of past customs and are part of what is known as the vernacular heritage, in other words the heritage that relates to the customs of the time.

There are many of them, but they are always charming, and you can enjoy seeing them as you stroll along a footpath. They are generally very well maintained by a group of heritage lovers andlocal associations. They leave us dreaming of the life our ancestors led at a time when there was no running water in the home.

Wash-houses have nothing to do with fountains, which are associated with religious worship.

Wash-houses and fountains

The ovens

Bread ovens are often made of granite and feature a dome of cut stone. They usually have an ogee-shaped opening above a granite floor.

The bread oven next to the Saint-Germain chapel in Plogastel-Saint-Germain has been restored. Every summer, events are held there.

Not to be confused with the goémon ovens , the trenches in the ground along the coast where seaweed was burnt in the 19th century. The seaweed ovens were used to produce soda bread.

Bigouden country ovens