THE ORDEAL OF PONTCHÂTEAU
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This calvary is located at 4 km from the city and dominates the surrounding communes
This site is located 4 km from the city and dominates the surrounding communes. This vast promontory was first erected in 1710 by Father Louis-Marie Grignon de Montfort. It was then razed to the ground on the orders of Louis XIV... It was then restored and embellished in 1821 by Abbot Gouray, the parish priest of Pontchâteau, who continued his work by progressively developing the whole site, in particular thanks to the construction of the monumental Way of the Cross with life-size figures. The Holy Sepulchre, the cenacle, the house of Nazareth were then created. In 1890, during years of great fervor, Father Barré made the Calvary a place of pilgrimage whose tradition is perpetuated. Today, the site includes 30 monuments, caves and frescos, located in this 14-hectare park. Since its origin, the Calvary of Pontchâteau has been the object of great notoriety in the region. From the artificial mound on which the calvary itself rises, one can see the whole horizon, embracing the Brière, the Bretesche, the forest of Le Gâvre and the banks of the Loire. This grandiose set is the most frequented calvary in France. It is completed by a Scala Sancta dating from 1891. An annual procession is organized on the evening of August 15. Place of pilgrimage, it is also an important tourist site with about 100 000 visits annually. The strangeness and the monumental aspect of the realization make of it an incomparable and singular place, which is really worth the visit.
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