Guimiliau Parish Close
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The Guimiliau Parish close ( Enclos paroissial) is located at
Guimiliau Guimiliau (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. It is noted for the Guimiliau Parish close. It should not be confused with the neighbouring commune and village of Lampaul-Guimiliau. Population In ...
in the arrondissement of Morlaix in
Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
in north-western
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. The parish takes its name from Saint Miliau who was beheaded in 792 on his brother's orders. He is a saint called upon by those suffering from ulcers and rheumatism. The parish close dates from the 16th and 17th-century and comprises an "arc de triomphe" style entrance, an
ossuary An ossuary is a chest, box, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. They are frequently used where burial space is scarce. A body is first buried in a temporary grave, then after some years th ...
, a bell-tower, an elaborate porch, a funeral chapel, a
cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, dead people are burial, buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ...
and a
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...
with a
baptistery In Church architecture, Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek language, Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned ...
, a
pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, accesse ...
, altarpieces, a
sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is us ...
, an organ, and the unusual
Calvary at Guimiliau The Calvary at Guimiliau, completed in 1588, is located in Guimiliau, Brittany, in northwestern France. It is part of the Guimiliau "enclos paroissial" (Guimiliau Parish close). Background The Guimiliau calvary is enormous and the statues display ...
. It is a listed
historical monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...
since 1906. Eglise Saint-Miliau The main features of the close are:


The "Arc de Triomphe" style entrance

This is surmounted with statues of two cavaliers and the Virgin Mary with child.


The Calvary

The calvary, completed in 1588, includes statues showing 37 scenes and comprises a single cross above an octagonal base.


Bell-tower

The bell-tower is in the "Beaumanoir" style and is flanked with a round tower.


Ossuary

Dating to the 17th-century, the building is decorated with stoups and bas-reliefs carved from Kersanton stone. To the left of the church porch there is a columned area which served as the original ossuary. See photograph identified as the "old ossuary". On the old ossuary wall, are some relief carvings. File:Old_Beinhaus-Ossuaire-Reliefs.jpg, Reliefs on the Old Ossuary wall File:Further carvings on enclosure wall at Guimilau.JPG, Further reliefs on the Old Ossuary wall File:Further carvings Guimiliau enclosure.JPG, Further reliefs on the Old Ossuary wall File:Further carvings at Guimiliau 5.JPG, Further reliefs on the Old Ossuary wall File:Carving on enclosure wall at Guimiliau.JPG, Further reliefs on the Old Ossuary wall File:Carvings at Guimiliau 4.JPG, Carvings near ossuary wall File:Carvings at Guimiliau 3.JPG, Carvings near ossuary wall


The church interior

The entry to the
choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
area has pillars with statues of saints Yves and Hervé with his wolf. The
balustrade A baluster () is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its ...
dates to the 17th-century. The altarpiece of the
Rosary The Rosary (; , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), formally known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary (Latin: Psalterium Jesu et Mariae), also known as the Dominican Rosary (as distinct from other forms of rosary such as the ...
dates to the 17th-century and has depictions of the
Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
, saint Dominic and Sainte-Catherine of Sienna whilst various medallions tell the story of the "mysteries" of the Rosary. Twisted columns are decorated with carvings of angels and various animals and the altarpiece also has images in niches of saints Nicholas, Zachary, and the Holy Father. The Saint Miliau altarpiece includes a panel depicting Saint Miliau carrying his severed head. The
Saint Joseph According to the canonical Gospels, Joseph (; ) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Eastern O ...
altarpiece includes images of saints Anne and Elizabeth as well as Lawrence with his grill/gridiron and the tree of knowledge. The church has several processional banners and a fine ambon carved as an eagle. File:Interior Guimiliau Parish Church.JPG, "Fuite en Egypte". Sculpture by Michel Quéré who died in 1993. Donated to the church by his family File:4433.Rosenkranzaltar-Altar des Heiligen Rosenkranzes(17.Jh.)Jungfrau Maria mit Kind umgeben von Dominikus und der Heiligen Katharina von Siena-In den Medaillons die Geheimnisse des Rosenkranzes.JPG, Part of the "Rosary" altarpiece. File:266.Guimiliau.Eglise.Statues.St-Milliau portant sa tête.JPG, A panel in the saint Miliau altarpiece shows saint Miliau carrying his severed head. File:4402.In Guimiliau ist der Reichtum des Barocks allgegenwärtig. Das Altarbild heiligen Joseph.JPG, The saint Joseph altarpiece File:4410.Banner-Saint Miliau - Guimiliau.JPG, A processional banner File:W2338-Guimillau StMiliau XVI° Ambon 5059.JPG, The eagle ambon File:4436.Statue des Heiligen Saint Herbot -Saint Hervé mit Wolf-Berühmter Bretonischer Heiliger des 6.Jahrhunderts-Saint Miliau-Guimiliau.JPG, Saint Hervé with wolf File:4437.Die Kanzel(1677)-Kirche Eglise Saint Miliau-Guimiliau-Enclos Paroissal-Umfriedeter Pfarrbezirk mit den wichtigsten christlichen Tugenden im barocken Stile verziert.JPG, The carved pulpit File:Guimiliau esglesia 6899 resize.jpg, Carvings on the pulpit


The Organ

This was built by
Thomas Dallam Thomas Dallam (bap. 1575, d. in or after 1630) was an English organ-builder and diarist.Christopher Kent, ‘Dallam, Thomas (bap. 1575, d. in or after 1630)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 200accessed 26 Oct ...
in 1677. The casing is in oak with marvelous bas-reliefs. Facing the baptistery is the work "Triomphe d'Alexandre" and facing the nave the carvings include "David jouant de la harpe" and "Sainte Cécile touche l'orgue".


The Baptistery

The baptistery dates to 1675 with a granite font. The baldachin is a fine work carved from oak with eight twisted columns decorated with birds, snails, snakes and grapes and a variety of other carvings.


The

Sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is us ...

This dates to 1683 and has a round conical roof dome, flanked with four semi-cupolas separated by buttresses. Above the building there is a statue of saint Miliau. File:Bretagne Finistere Guimiliau7 tango7174.jpg, The organ at Guimiliau File:Bretagne Finistere Guimiliau6 tango7174.jpg, Baptismal font with Baldachin File:8 Guimiliau C.jpg, The sacristy


Saint Anne According to apocrypha, as well as Christianity, Christian and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the wife of Joachim and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the Bible's Gosp ...
funeral chapel

This chapel, dedicated to the mother of the
Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
, was built in 1648. It has an outside pulpit so that sermons could be delivered in the open air. Bodies were brought here prior to burial and could thus be isolated, particularly where death was from cholera or the plague. There is a granite altar dating to 1644 inside the chapel with an altarpiece dedicated to Saint Anne. This is decorated with a carving of the Virgin Mary with child and a "Christ aux liens" (that moment when Christ stands or sits alone, his hands tied and awaiting his crucifixion). These are to the left and right of the central sculpture showing Saint Anne with her daughter. File:Guimiliau - Enclos paroissial - l'ossuaire - PA00089998 - 002.jpg, The Saint Anne altarpiece File:Guimiliau - Enclos paroissial - PA00089998 - 037.jpg, The Saint Anne chapel File:Guimiliau - Enclos paroissial - l'ossuaire - PA00089998 - 003.jpg, Jesus, his body showing the marks of his flogging and wearing the crown of thorns, awaits the crucifixion. Part of the Saint Anne altarpiece File:Guimiliau - Enclos paroissial - l'ossuaire - PA00089998 - 010.jpg, The Virgin Mary with child. A statue in the Saint Anne funeral chapel. Part of the Saint Anne altarpiece File:Guimiliau - Enclos paroissial - l'ossuaire - PA00089998 - 008.jpg, The central part of the Saint Anne altarpiece. The Virgin Mary with her mother


The porch

The bulk of the porch was built between 1606 and 1617 by the Maître de Plougastel and the finishing touches were added by Roland Doré (sculptor). The porch gives access to the
nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
and is in a mélange of Gothic and
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
styles. On the outside of the porch there are two decorated friezes and two triangular
pediments Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In ancient ...
completed by two narrow gargoyles. There is a niche on the façade containing a statue of Saint Miliau sat on his throne and at the very top is a "clocheton" topped with a lantern. The voussures and piédroits of the porch's arch have carvings from the base upwards that recount stories from the Old and New Testament and these should be read by starting on the left side and moving across to the right. These carvings start with the temptation of Eve on the left side and Adam and Eve's expulsion from paradise on the right. Next is a depiction of Eve as a mother and Adam as a labourer on the left and Caïn's murder of his brother coupled with Noah's ark on the right. Next there is a scene showing the sacrifices of Caïn and Abel on the left, with Noah collecting grapes on the right and then Noah is shown, clearly in drunken state with wine. We then move to the New Testament with the
Annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...
, the Nativity juxtaposed with the visitation, followed by the
Adoration of the Magi The Adoration of the Magi or Adoration of the Kings or Visitation of the Wise Men is the name traditionally given to the subject in the Nativity of Jesus in art in which the three Magi, represented as kings, especially in the West, having fo ...
and the angels and shepherds attending Jesus' birth. Finally, on the left there is a depiction of the
Flight into Egypt The flight into Egypt is a story recounted in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 2:13–Matthew 2:23, 23) and in New Testament apocrypha. Soon after the Biblical Magi, visit by the Magi, an angel appeared to Saint Joseph, Joseph in a dream telling ...
and on the right the
Circumcision Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. T ...
. Inside the porch are statues of the apostles set in elaborate niches and Renaissance style daises. Under the apostles, there is a frieze with various heads depicting the
cardinal sins The seven deadly sins (also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins) function as a grouping of major vices within the teachings of Christianity. In the standard list, the seven deadly sins according to the Catholic Church are pride, greed ...
and three reliefs. One shows a monk conducting an
exorcism Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be do ...
, another two wrestlers, and the third an amazing composition depicting God's creation of Eve. At the end of the porch and above the two doors giving access to the church, there is a statue by Roland Doré of Christ giving a blessing ("Christ bénissant") with "termes gainé" of Adam and Eve on either side. The apostles, on the right as one leaves the church, comprise saints Peter with his key, James the Greater with pilgrim's hat and sea-shell, John, Andrew, Matthew, and James the lesser. On the right side are depictions of saints Phillip, Bartholomew, Simon with saw, Judas with a palm leaf, Mathias with axe, and finally Thomas with set square. Of the various statues in and around the porch, Doré has been attributed with the statues in the outside niches of the monk and bishop, and the Pope as well as the statues inside the porch of saints Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon, Judas, and Thomas. File:4445.Apostelstatuen in Nischen Rechts Süd-Portaleingang-Saint Miliau-Guimiliau.JPG, Some of the statues of the apostles in the porch interior File:Guimiliau - Enclos paroissial - le portail - Statue du piédroit - PA00089998 - 007.jpg, The south porch at Guimiliau. Part of the piédroit on the right depicts Cain's murder of Abel File:Guimiliau - Enclos paroissial - le portail - Statue du piédroit - PA00089998 - 009.jpg, Alongside Cain's murder of Abel is this depiction of Noah's Ark. File:Guimiliau - Enclos paroissial - le portail - Statue du piédroit - PA00089998 - 002.jpg, Eve has succumbed to temptation and with Adam has been thrown out of paradise. She is now painfully aware of her nudity and attempts to cover her vulnerability File:Guimiliau - Enclos paroissial - le portail - Statue du piédroit - PA00089998 - 013.jpg, Noah collecting grapes File:Guimiliau - Enclos paroissial - le portail - Statue du piédroit - PA00089998 - 015.jpg, Noah is completely drunk File:Guimiliau - Enclos paroissial - le porche - PA00089998 - 006.jpg, The Nativity File:Adam and Eve are chased from the Garden of Eden. Now aware of their nakedness they cover themselves with leaves.JPG, Adam and Eve are chased from the Garden of Eden. Now aware of their nakedness they cover themselves with leaves File:Adam and Eve with the Tree of Knowledge between them have been unable resist temptation and cover their nakedness.JPG, Adam and Eve with the Tree of Knowledge between them have been unable resist temptation and cover their nakedness File:Adam is now aware of his nakedness.JPG, Adam is now aware of his nakedness File:4340.Reich verziertes Südportal-Die zweischiffige Kirche Eglise Saint Miliau(16.Jh.)von Guimiliau Baustil - Übergang vom Flamboyant zur Renaissance aus Granit errichtet-Enclos Paroissal.JPG, The front of the south porch. At the top of the pediment we see the bust of a woman and in the gable at the very top there is a niche containing a statue of saint Miliau File:4349.Statue des Heiligen Saint Miliau(gestorben 531 )im Giebel über dem Eingangsportal der Kirche von Saint Milau(6.Jh.)-Bretonischer Heiliger-Guimiliau-Enclos Paroissal.JPG, The statue of saint Miliiau File:2012 08 Bretagne 371.JPG, The woman in the south porch pediment. File:4345.Süd-Portal Links-Mönch mit Buch in der Hand-Rechts-Ein Bischof mit Mitra.JPG, The right side buttress by the south porch. We see a monk holding a book in the left niche and a bishop in the right niche. File:Guimiliau - Enclos paroissial - PA00089998 - 029.jpg, The left side of the south porch buttress File:Guimiliau - Enclos paroissial - le porche - PA00089998 - 145.jpg, The frieze inside the south porch. Eve is born. God helps withdraw Eve from Adam's side by pulling on her arms. File:Guimiliau - Enclos paroissial - le porche - PA00089998 - 146.jpg, In the depiction of the creation, fish, deer and other creatures are depicted File:Guimiliau - Enclos paroissial - le porche - PA00089998 - 148.jpg, St Yves blesses four "unfortunates" At the end of the porch interior, two doors give access to the church and between these two doors there is an elaborate stoup ("Bénitier") with a sculpture of an angel holding an
aspergillum An aspergillum ("little sprinkler", less commonly, aspergilium, aspergil or asperger) is a Christian liturgical implement used to sprinkle holy water. It comes in three forms: a freshly cut hyssop branch, a brush-like bundle that is dippe ...
.


References

{{coord, 48.4884, N, 3.9977, W, source:wikidata, display=title Churches in Finistère Calvaries in Brittany Parish closes in Brittany Monuments historiques of Finistère