Riantec - Imperial way going through the woods

Kerdurand Castle was built in the 18th century. Country property of Jean Durand, sieur de la Feuillade, this one baptized it naturally «Kerdurand». The arboretum of the park dates from 1745 while the pavilion and the portal, work of a Port-louisian ironworker, date from the middle of the 19th century. The castle regularly hosts exhibitions and cultural events.

The acquisition of this estate by a bourgeois of the Compagnie des Indes, François Stéphan, a botanist, allowed the creation of a large park around the castle. Exotic species such as Chinese palm trees of Chushan, tulip trees of Virginia, pines of Monterey, cedars of Lebanon or cork oaks of North Africa were planted.

The name comes from Sieur De la Roussie, the owner of an “outlet” linked to the French East India Company. This name was later changed to “Russia”. In Breton, the U is pronounced OU.... Did the person want to Frenchify his name, or was it a linguistic error?

The history of Riantec is very old, since traces of human presence have been dated to 4,500 BC. Riantec was founded during the 4th, 5th and 6th centuries AD by the migration of the Bretons from the English Channel who came to find refuge in our region.Riantec was once a port from which many sailors went to fish for tuna or sardines. The women cultivated their land and fished in the small sea, the shells, which once sold provided an additional income for the household. The nickname of «salty asses» given to the riantécoes comes in part from there since the women, fishing rigados and other shells until the last moment, often came back with wet skirts...

Former imperial route to the south of Morbihan. It is older than the Roman period and could date from the time of the civilization of Carnac and megaliths. This route allowed to reach the islet Ste Catherine from the countryside of Riantec and Locmiquelic. Today connected to the mainland, Sainte Catherine was an island before the Second World War.

Pine trees were introduced in the 17th and 18th centuries and have acclimatised well. They were intensively exploited from the 19th century. Scots pines were used for boat masts. Maritime pines were planted in inland moorlands and on dunes, and were used to make 25 to 30cm diameter posts for English mines, exported from the port of Lorient. Cut rapidly every 25 years, they offered landowners a good return. Despite the decline in the industry, pine trees are just as much a part of our coastal landscape as a century ago, and tourism has promoted the introduction of more exotic species such as firs, rhododendrons, mimosa, etc. The resort landscape has replaced low-lying vegetation, creating an artificial environment.

On the left when exiting the circuit you will cross the Riant. It is a natural watercourse 4.33 km, it takes its source in the town of Merlevenez and flows into the small sea of Gâvres at Riantec.   The name of the municipality is also derived from the name of this stream that crosses it. 200m further you will find, hidden in the woods, the chapel of Locjean or Saint-Jean. It was rebuilt in 1884 instead of another chapel dedicated to St John the Evangelist. In a clearing between the religious building and the stream of Riant, is the votive fountain.

Possible translation “the little white one”, due to the white colour coming from the subsoil. Kaolin is found at shallow depths in the wells. The village was made up of farmhouses and has been populated since time immemorial. Traces dating back to the 1st century prove the presence of Venetians (one of the peoples of Celtic Gaul).