A "secular saint" of the Third Republic. Born into an impoverished family, Ernest Renan (1823-1892) was a brilliant scholar who was destined to become a priest. Yet he left the seminary in 1845. His works examined the Gospels in light of exacting scientific criticism, scandalising the clergy and Catholic royalist right. Respected scholar throughout Europe, Renan received all the honours: he was a member of the Académie des inscriptions et belles lettres, professor at the Collège de France, academician and officer of the Legion of Honour.
A bourgeois mansion of public figures. Built in the late 16th century, this house in the typical architecture of Trégor was acquired in 1780 by the grandparents of the scientist. Renan left it for good at the age of 15. It became a museum in 1947. In 1992, at the author's centenary celebrations, the street façade received a sculpted wood decor.
Français 
English 
