The Mystery of Parish Closes in Brittany

Facing the immensity of the Atlantic ocean, in Britanny where the lands end, the parish closes invite us to a certain vision of death. In this region where the sun sets last on the lands of France, churches are surrounded by a walled churchyard where a Calvary, an ossuary and a ceremonial arch gather the faithful in a vision of the Golgotha. 

From the XVth to the XVIIth centuries, the architecture of parish closes has reached an incredible level in the intensity of décor. This cannot be found in any other regions and does reflect the concern of the Bretons for the death enigma.

The calvary of Pleyben shows 28 episodes of the Christ’s life from the Annunciation to the Resurrection. The construction of the church at Pleyben began in 1580. It was interrupted during the Wars of Religion and completed in 1583 in the late Breton Gothic Style. It has three panelled vaults and the spire above the South porch belongs to the Renaissance. It is beautifully topped by a dome and lantern of the same period. The apse is in the Beaumanoir Style from the name of a family of local builders  in the XVIth and XVIIth centuries. They mainly worked on religious edifices in the  regions of Trégor, Léon and Cornwall, in Guimiliau and Morlaix in 1465, at Plufen in 1499, and Plougonven (1507-1523).

The typical features of these edifices are: a wall-spire, generally rectangular flanked by solid buttresses and a turret giving access to the summit of the spire – a three sided apse – a succession of aisles – and a particular ornamentation for the ballustrades, gargoyles, and a platform with its gallery and Gothic spire.

The church of Pleyben houses many polychrome statues, sumptuous reredos  of the XVIIth century, masterpieces of local artists (1666-67). The organ was created in 1668. The magnificent reredo of the Rosary dates from 1668. The region of Finistère in Britanny counts more than 60 of this type. The Triumphal Arch was erected in 1725. It is also known as Gate to Death for it separated the kingdom of the dead from the world of living as it was included in the wall surrounding the cemetery. It is crowned by a Pietà framed by two angels. 

The church and parish close at Pleyben, Britanny.

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The calvary at Pleyben parish close.

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The choir of Saint-Germain Church in Pleyben.

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