a saint both sides of the channel

Saint THEREZIEN ot THERIZIEN is a Welsh saint (RITHIAN) who lived in the VI th century at the time of the Breton arrivals in Armorique since the Wales and the Cornwall. A character bearing this name, most probably originally from these regions, was Bishop of the country of Tréguier (department of Côtes-d'Armor) and sanctified at that time. There is a single statue, wooden, of saint THERIZIEN: in the church of LANLOUP in this department, near the sea and the municipality of PLEHEDEL where is the oldest genealogy. Since then, this name was carried as first name then as surname by more or less illustrious people (among which one carrying blazon). This patronymic is worn under spellings today varying little. Saint Therezien ?

There are few written tracks on whom was saint Thérezien. The original name was transformed, of To-rithien ( welsh saint) it Latinized in Thiritianus then(may) Tirizinus and gallicized in Terithien then Thérezien. A sanctuary is dedicated to him in the Wales ( Llanrhidian). We find a track in Cornwall then most probably he crosses the Channel as many of his congeners to become established on the north coast of continental Brittany. He became afterward a bishop of the Yaudet in 532, former bishop's palace of Tréguier.

"The Valley of the Saints" ?
Created in July 2008, the Valley of the saints is a Breton collective project by an association. It is situated in Carnoët (Côtes-d'Armor), at the heart of the Brittany. The association aspires to implant 1000 monumental sculptures of 4 meters high there, cut in some Breton granite, a real Breton Easter Island! At this point, 100 giants are implanted in an exceptional and unique site in Brittany.
Why finance a statue ?

For you who bear this name or are close to a carrier of this patronymic, the statue of this character, beyond the religious character, represents the foundation of an already dense human lineage and which is going to continue: it is the historical heritage which affects hundreds of people,
bound to the history of the Brittany but which exceeds this day widely this geographical region. This statue will be a bridge between past and future, and maybe between the two sides of the channel.
This project is also the possibility to participate in an exceptional adventure! The number of statues (expected thousand!), their height (from
 3 to 5 meters!), the enthusiasm of the promoters and the sculptors as formerly the one of the builders of cathedrals compose little by little one of the big artistic realizations of the century. It is the place of the unity of the Brittany.

The statue has been done during september 2020.