Tro Breizh

Tro Breizh (Breton for "Tour of Brittany") is a Catholic pilgrimage that links the towns of the seven founding saints of Brittany. These seven saints were Celtic monks from Britain from around the 5th or 6th century who brought Christianity to Armorica and founded its first bishoprics.

The tour originally was a month-long 600 km (370 mile) walking tour, but when relaunched in 1994 by Les Chemins du Tro Breizh ("The Paths of the Tro Breizh" in French), it was decided to limit the tour to one week-long stage every year, still following the original path:

Path

*Quimper, Saint Corentin's town
*Saint-Pol-de-Léon, Saint Pol's town
*Tréguier, Saint Tudwal's town
*Saint Brieuc, named after its founder
*Saint Malo, similarly named
*Dol, Samson of Dol's town
*Vannes, Saint Patern's town

An old Breton legend says that those who do not complete the Tro Breizh in their lifetime will be sentenced to complete it in their afterlife, walking the length of the tour from within their coffin every seven years.

The first writings mentioning the existence of these tours dates from the 13th century Fact|date=February 2007

In 2002, after successfully completing the seven-year tour, the pilgrimage moved on to Wales, whence many of the bishops came.

See also

*Blessed Julian Maunoir, "Apostle of Brittany"