St Samson

The original church at Dol-de-Bretagne was the seat of St Samson (c480-565). He came from the monastery of Llanwit Major in Wales, and settled in north-east Brittany through connections with King Judual. His historical existence is testified by the Acta of the Council of Paris, recording his presence in 560.
The current austere cathedral building replaced an earlier one destroyed by English King John (who was seeking to add Brittany to his territory) in 1203. One tower was never completed due to lack of funds. The vast interior is well worth seeing: it includes a rare (in Brittany) early renaissance bishop's tomb.
Dol itself is interesting for two reasons: the founder of Brittany, Nominoe, used the episcopy politically, making it the Metropolitan see for Breton bishops, rather than Tours. It is also the original home of the Scottish Stuart dynasty. They are descended from a Breton seneschal, stewart in English, who was given lands in Scotland after the Battle of Hastings.