The Monts d'Arrée, covering 60,000 hectares, stand out clearly in this part of Armorica. By the late 1960s, the creation of Parc d’Armorique introduced an experimental mechanism aimed at integrating environmental, economic, and regional planning concerns around large cities. This project has represented a challenge for over fifty years.
Situated at the heart of the Regional Natural Park (PNR) of Armorique, the Monts d'Arrée are located in one of France's first regional natural parks, established in 1969. The park, recognized for its remarkable landscapes and distinctive identity, extends from the Monts d’Arrée to the coast of the Crozon peninsula, including the Aulne valley and Brest’s rade, reaching the sea with the Iroise islands (Sein, Molène, and Ouessant).
In Finistère, the Ecomuseum of the Monts d'Arrée is situated in a unique setting characterized by an eroded mountain massif belonging to the Armorican massif, with summits reaching up to 385 meters and an overall altitude exceeding 220 meters. These mountains, once a natural frontier between Cornouaille to the south and Leon to the north, are adorned with heathland vegetation that gives them a quasi-desert appearance.
Maison Cornec:
Before becoming an independent parish, Saint-Rivoal was part of the Brasparts parish. At this time, a house had been built in 1702 by Yvon Cornec and his wife Anne Broustal, near the small church of the trève.
This dwelling, a small manor belonging to a notable personality and equipped with an apoteiz, is preserved in its original state. However, life continues all around: the adjacent dwellings, modernized to adapt to contemporary comfort advancements, are still occupied.
Nearby, Bothorel House well illustrates these changes up until the 1950s. At the center of the village, this historical heritage is complemented by the orchards of the ecomuseum, preserving the richness of the region.