Ornate Gothic marble tomb of Olivier V de Clisson (1336-1407), Constable of France, and his second wife, Marguerite de Rohan (Margaret of Rohan) (1330-1406). In a chapel dedicated to Sainte Marguerite in the Basilique Notre-Dame du Roncier or Church of Notre-Dame du Roncier, at Josselin, Morbihan, Brittany, France.
Josselin, Morbihan, Brittany, France, inside the Basilique Notre-Dame du Roncier or Church of Notre-Dame du Roncier: ornate Gothic marble tomb of Olivier V de Clisson (1336-1407), Constable of France, and his second wife, Marguerite de Rohan (Margaret of Rohan) (1330-1406). The tomb is in a chapel dedicated to Sainte Marguerite, added to the church by Olivier and named after his second wife. Marguerite had also been married before and Olivier was her second husband. Olivier is depicted in a breastplate and coat of arms and Marguerite in a surcoat or surcote (an outer coat or cloak, specifically a loose-fitting garment worn over armour) with two greyhounds at her feet, a symbol of loyalty. Around the tomb are sculpted mourners or weepers, beheaded during the 1789 French Revolution. Olivier and Marguerite were originally buried in the chapel of the Château de Josselin, an impressive castle which Olivier built in 1370 and which is still inhabited by the de Rohan family. However, their grave was desecrated in 1792 and the monument smashed. The fragments were collected in 1829 on the order of M. de Chazelles, prefect of Morbihan, and then temporarily embedded in a church wall. The statues of the recumbent figures were sent to a sculptor in Rennes for restoration and remained there for a long time, with work interrupted by the Revolution of 1830; restoration did not resume until the middle of the 19th century. The tomb of Olivier V de Clisson and Marguerite de Rohan lies beneath a stained glass window in which they are also remembered. Olivier V de Clisson was a Breton soldier who distinguished himself at the Battle of Auray (1364) where he lost an eye and earned the nickname “Butcher” because his troops were ordered to take no prisoners. Marguerite was of a noble Breton family who added to the power of Olivier and encouraged him to make improvements to the Church of Notre-Dame-Du-Roncier. Josselin is about 80 km west of Rennes.
Size: 4256px × 2832px
Location: Basilique Notre-Dame du Roncier, Josselin, Morbihan, Brittany, France
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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