The Saint-Herbot Parish close is a religious complex outside the village

Plonévez-du-Faou Plonévez-du-Faou () is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Geography Climate Plonévez-du-Faou has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification ''Cfb''). The average annual temperature in Plonéve ...

Finistère Finistère (, ; ) is a Departments of France, department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. Its prefecture is Quimper and its largest city is Brest, France, Brest. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090.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 ...

. It is located on the road between Huelgoat and Loqueffret. The

parish close Parish close is a translation of the French term . It refers to a number of locations in Brittany, mainly though not exclusively in the historic diocese of Léon, corresponding roughly to the northern half of the department of Finistère. These f ...

() contains the chapel of Saint-Herbot,, Chapelle Saint-Herbot the

calvary Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified. Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...

, Calvaire and a small ossuary.

History

The chapel has no

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

and is rectangular in shape with five traverses with

aisle An aisle is a linear space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, in buildings such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, parliaments, courtrooms, ...

s and a flat

chevet In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. In Byzan ...

. Sponsorship from Anne de Bretagne was behind the addition of the south porch in 1498-1509 and the bell-tower porch on the western side. This sponsorship also funded the building of the neighboring chapel of Sainte-Barbe. The Saint Herbot chapel was enlarged in 1545, the

wall was rebuilt in around 1550 and the ossuary added in 1558 and many other changes were made in the succeeding years. There is a

gisant A tomb effigy ( French: ''gisant'' ("lying")) is a sculpted effigy of a deceased person usually shown lying recumbent on a rectangular slab, presented in full ceremonial dress or wrapped in a shroud, and shown either dying or shortly after deat ...

In the chapel dedicated to Saint Herbot. The chapel was built in around 1389 on the site where St Herbot had his hermitage and where he is thought to have been buried. It had served as a

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or t ...

but the original building was destroyed during the French

wars of succession A war of succession is a war prompted by a succession crisis in which two or more individuals claim to be the Order of succession, rightful successor to a demise of the Crown, deceased or deposition (politics), deposed monarch. The rivals are ...

and a replacement was constructed in the 14th century. The architectural style is

Flamboyant Gothic Flamboyant () is a lavishly-decorated style of Gothic architecture that appeared in France and Spain in the 15th century, and lasted until the mid-sixteenth century and the beginning of the Renaissance.Encyclopedia Britannica, "Flamboyant style ...

and the chapel has many treasures including a superb stained glass window depicting the passion which dates to 1566 and two other windows one of which depicts St Yves. A stairway leading to the door on the north side of the church dates to the 14th century and the porch on the northern side is 16th-century. The chapel has a 30 metre high bell-tower, erected in the 15th century, rather too large in fact for the building. This tower was said to have been inspired by

Quimper Quimper (, ; ; or ) is a Communes of France, commune and Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Finistère Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France. Administration Quimper is the ...

cathedral. A domed turret was added to the tower in 1697. Inside the church 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 ...

is separated from the main body of the church by an oak railing topped by a "poutre de gloire" ("Rood screen") and on each side of the door in this railing is a granite table on which farm workers were able to put tuffs of hair from their cattle as offerings to Saint Herbot (see later note). Near the chapel are the ruins of an 18th-century fountain, there is a small ossuary built in the renaissance style attached to the church and the calvary which dates to 1575 and stands in the middle of a "placître" (an area of grass) just by the chapel. The chapel's south porch is magnificent. The chapel holds statues of the Virgin Mary and Saint Herbot and in various niches Saint Corentin, Saint Sébastien,

Saint Roch Roch (lived c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79; traditionally c. 1295 – 16 August 1327), also called Rock in English, was a Majorcan Catholic confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August and 9 September in Italy; he was especially invo ...

and a 16th-century Pietà.

Description of the Calvary

All the Calvary's sculptures are grouped at the top of the cross' shaft. After the

black death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...

outbreaks of the 15th and 17th century, depictions of "bubons" were added to the shafts of the three crosses to ward off this dreadful disease. Bubons were the boil like sores which were one of the symptoms of the plague. The calvary dates to 1575 and is inscribed "Cest croix fut faicte l'an 1575 Mathieu Cravec PG". It bears the coats of arms of Kerlech Chastel and of Rusquec.

The Calvary from the western side

Above the crucified Jesus we see a small angel who will carry off his soul and other angels collecting the blood from his wounds including those in his side. We see the Virgin Mary and

John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( – ) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Gospel of John. Christians have traditionally identified him with John the Apostle, John of Patmos, and John the Presbyter, although there is no consensus on how ...

's statues and the two robbers on their crosses. At the foot of the crucifixion cross, two angels stand placing a chalice on the head on a small figure. This figure is thought to represent

Adam Adam is the name given in Genesis 1–5 to the first human. Adam is the first human-being aware of God, and features as such in various belief systems (including Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism and Islam). According to Christianity, Adam ...

added to represent the human race and being the first to benefit from the shedding of Jesus' blood. Below is the resurrected Christ. We can see the wounds on his hands. On either side of him are angels and another two winged angels are seen below the figures of the Virgin Mary and Saint John. Beneath the "good" robber is another angel whilst beneath the "bad robber" is a demonic figure who has the head of another demon between his legs.

The Calvary from the eastern side

The reverse or eastern side of the Calvary has a depiction of Saint Herbot on the central cross. He holds an open book and a pastoral staff. Beneath Saint Herbot is a pietà and above him is an angel, her hands spread open. Below the pietà is St Veronica between two angels. She wears a nun's whimple and is holding her veil bearing the image of Jesus' face. The angels hold some of the instruments of the Passion. One holds a hammer and the other a whip. Both hold nails. 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 ...

has one hand on the place where Jesus' side had been pierced by a lance during the crucifixion and bizarrely an animal, possibly a dog, appears to be licking Jesus' hand. The

has

on one side and

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...

on the other..

The south porch

The arched porch, added between 1498 and 1509, is decorated with voussures depicting angels and saints. There are three voussoirs on the porch's entrance and two on the inner door leading into the chapel. Above the porch entrance is a sculpture depicting the Holy Father who is giving a blessing with his right hand and holding a terrestrial globe in his left hand. Two small angels are placed on either side of him. Then on each side of the entrance are sculptures of two further angels. They appear to be floating in the air. There are in fact twenty-six angels and sixteen saints depicted in the voussoirs. John the Baptist is one of the saints depicted. He carries a lamb in his arms and is dressed in an animal skin. Inside the porch are twelve statues depicting the apostles, each placed in elaborately decorated gothic niches. Each apostle wears a

banderole A banderole (, "little banner") is a comparatively small but long flag, historically used by knights and on ships, and as a heraldic device for representing bishops. Bannerol, in its main uses is the same as banderole, and is the term especially ...

on which is written the part of the

credo In Christian liturgy, the credo (; Latin for "I believe") is the portion of the Mass where a creed is recited or sung. The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed or the Apostles' Creed are the primary creeds used for this purpose. History After the ...

associated with them. These statues lead to the entrance door to the church and over this door is a sculpture depicting Saint Herbot, inscribed with the date "1581". He carries an open book thus introducing the theme of evangelism, a theme repeated throughout the chapel.

Gallery of images relating to the south porch

File:Plonévez-du-Faou (29) Saint-Herbot Porche sud Intérieur 08.JPG, The interior of the south porch. A close-up of one of the statues of the apostles File:Saint-Herbot 4 Porche sud Six statues d'apôtres côté est.JPG, The six sculptures of apostles on the east side of the porch interior. They are, from left to right, Saints Peter, Andrew, James the Greater, John, Thomas and James the Lesser. File:Saint-Herbot 5 Porche sud Six statues d'apôtres côté ouest.JPG, The six sculptures of apostles on the west side of the porch interior. They are, from left to right, Saints Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon, Judas and Mathias. File:Saint-Herbot 6 Décor de la porte d'entrée de l'église depuis le porche sud.JPG, The entrance door to the church via the south porch. Over the door is a depiction of Saint Herbot with the inscription "MESSIRE IEHAN DE LAVLNAY P E E GOUVERNEUR DE CEANS FIST FAIRE CEST PORTAL COMENCE(ME)NT LE PREMIER IOVR DE IVIET LAN MIL QVATRE CE S QVATRE VINTS DIX OVIT" File:Plonévez-du-Faou (29) Saint-Herbot Porche sud Voussures 10.JPG, The small statue depicting the Holy Father over the entrance to the south porch. He is giving a blessing and holds a terrestrial globe. File:Plonévez-du-Faou (29) Saint-Herbot Porche sud Voussures 01.JPG, The south porch showing the voussoirs decorated with depictions of the apostles

Other entrances to the church

The arched west double door dates to 1516 and gives access to the nave and the decoration includes a depiction of Saint Herbot surrounded by angels. They wear banderoles inscribed "Benedictus" ("Blessed are those who come in the name of the Lord") and "Laudate" ("Praise be to God"). There is also a depiction of a man carrying his hat in his hand and greeting visitors with the greeting "Pax vobis" ("Peace be with you"). There is another entrance to the church on the north side, this accessed by a stairway built in 1858., Chapelle de Saint-Herbot avec son calvaire File:Plonévez-du-Faou (29) Chapelle Saint-Herbot Façade ouest 01.JPG, The west façade of the chapel. Saint Herbot is depicted with two angels on either side. The angels carry a banner reading "LAN:M:VC:XVI:/FVT CEST PORTAL/.COMA E:MESSIR CHO ENTIN/K RETFEZ GOVVERNEUR" File:Saint-Herbot 23 Eglise Escalier menant à la porte nord.JPG, The stairway leading up to the north door

The chapel interior

The interior of the chapel has a remarkable

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

separated from the rest of the church by an oak

rood screen The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, o ...

("poutre de gloire") in the Renaissance style and on the top of this screen is a depiction of the crucifixion. The chancel also holds a frieze of panels separated by

caryatid A caryatid ( ; ; ) is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term ''karyatides'' literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient t ...

s representing the twelve

Sibyl The sibyls were prophetesses or oracles in Ancient Greece. The sibyls prophet, prophesied at holy sites. A sibyl at Delphi has been dated to as early as the eleventh century BC by Pausanias (geographer), PausaniasPausanias 10.12.1 when he desc ...

s and the twelve apostles. On either side of the chancel entrance which leads on to the

are two granite tables on which worshippers could deposit their offerings to Saint Herbot (often tuffs of hair from their cattle). The choir itself has fifteen stalls dating from 1550 to 1570 each with

misericord A misericord (sometimes named mercy seat, like the biblical object) is a small wooden structure formed on the underside of a folding seat in a church which, when the seat is folded up, is intended to act as a shelf to support a person in a p ...

s. These misericords have their own unique 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 ...

dates to the 18th century.

The chancel and rood screen

The 16th-century chancel separates the

from the rest of the church. The space inside the chancel is reserved for the clergy and that outside the chancel for the congregation. On each side of the entrance to the chancel are stone tables on which the congregation could place their offerings. Above the chancel grill is an inscription dating to 1659 with a verse from the

Book of Jeremiah The Book of Jeremiah () is the second of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, and the second of the Prophets in the Christian Old Testament. The superscription at chapter Jeremiah 1#Superscription, Jeremiah 1:1–3 identifies the book as "th ...

reading There is a decorated frieze on the outside of the

and on the part of the frieze looking on to the nave are panels depicting the apostles presided over by Saint Herbot holding a baton and a book. The panels, from left to right, start with a depiction of

St Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the early Christian Church. He appears repe ...

with key,

Andrew the Apostle Andrew the Apostle ( ; ; ; ) was an apostle of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was a fisherman and one of the Apostles in the New Testament, Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. The title First-Called () used by the Eastern Orthodox Chu ...

and his cross,

with a

chalice A chalice (from Latin 'cup', taken from the Ancient Greek () 'cup') is a drinking cup raised on a stem with a foot or base. Although it is a technical archaeological term, in modern parlance the word is now used almost exclusively for the ...

, and

James the Greater James the Great (Koine Greek, Koinē Greek: Ἰάκωβος, romanized: ''Iákōbos''; Syriac language, Aramaic: ܝܥܩܘܒ, romanized: ''Yaʿqōḇ''; died AD 44) was one of the Apostles in the New Testament, Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Accordi ...

with a hat and a stick. The two panels over the chancel entrance are larger than the others and in between them is a depiction of Saint Herbot on a dais. These larger panels hold two images, the first of

Thomas the Apostle Thomas the Apostle (; , meaning 'the Twin'), also known as Didymus ( 'twin'), was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Thomas is commonly known as "doubting Thomas" because he initially doubted the resurrection of ...

with a set-square and

Philip the Apostle Philip the Apostle (; Aramaic: ܦܝܠܝܦܘܣ; , ''Philippos'') was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Later Christian traditions describe Philip as the apostle who preached in Greece, Syria, and Asia-Minor. I ...

with a Latin cross and the second

Bartholomew the Apostle Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Most scholars today identify Bartholomew as Nathanael, who appears in the Gospel of John (1:45–51; cf. 21:2). New Testament references The name ''Bartholomew ...

with a knife and

Matthew the Evangelist Matthew the Apostle was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. According to Christian traditions, he was also one of the four Evangelists as author of the Gospel of Matthew, and thus is also known as Matthew the Evangelist. The claim of his g ...

with a lance. The last four panels depict James the Lesser with a St Laurent's stick, Simon the Apostle with a saw,

with a book and

halberd A halberd (also called halbard, halbert or Swiss voulge), is a two-handed polearm that was in prominent use from the 13th to 16th centuries. The halberd consists of an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on a long shaft. It may have a hook or ...

and

Judas Iscariot Judas Iscariot (; ; died AD) was, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. Judas betrayed Jesus to the Sanhedrin in the Garden of Gethsemane, in exchange for thirty pieces of sil ...

with an

épée The (, ; ), also rendered as epee in English, is the largest and heaviest of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. The modern derives from the 19th-century , a weapon which itself derives from the French small sword. This contains a ...

. Further panels include images of people playing the harp and viola or holding an anchor and another crossing water. On top of the

is a depiction of the crucifixion.

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

is surrounded by the

and

and below them are heaps of bones scattered on the ground to remind us of

Golgotha Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified. Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...

is shown kneeling, her arms around the base of the cross. Two angels are shown collecting the blood from Jesus' wounds. The good robber hangs from his cross looking towards Jesus whilst the bad robber is turning his head away. A

pelican Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before ...

is added to the composition to remind the congregation that Jesus was sacrificed to save the human race. There are 15 oak stalls around the chancel. Each is decorated and has a

. They date from between 1550 and 1570.

Stained glass

The choir window and the window dedicated to St Yves both date to 1556 and are attributed to the

Morlaix Morlaix (; , ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. History The Battle of Morlaix, part of the Hundred Years' War, was fought near the town on 30 Septembe ...

workshop of Thomas Quéméner. The choir window includes the coats of arms of many local families and dignitaries. The windows were restored in 1716 by Claude Le Roux and in 1886 by Huchet et fils of

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

. The lateral windows honour St Yves and St Laurent. File:Saint-Herbot 20 Eglise Vitrail derrière le maître-autel.JPG, The choir window behind the main altar File:Plonévez-du-Faou (29) Chapelle Saint-Herbot Maîtresse-vitre 05.JPG, Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane. Part of the choir window File:Plonévez-du-Faou (29) Chapelle Saint-Herbot Maîtresse-vitre 08.JPG, Whilst Jesus was praying the apostles who were with him have fallen asleep. Part of the choir window File:Plonévez-du-Faou (29) Chapelle Saint-Herbot Maîtresse-vitre 21.JPG, Part of the St Herbot chapel main window. Jesus is taken before Pontius Pilate File:Plonévez-du-Faou (29) Chapelle Saint-Herbot Maîtresse-vitre 28.JPG, In these two lights the first showed Jesus being mocked and then having the crown of thorns pressed on his head. The so-called "window of the Passion", dating to 1556, is a

mullioned A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid sup ...

rose window Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' wa ...

with Christ depicted in the centre wearing a "royal" robe. The inner circle of the window has panels with depictions of the various instruments associated with the Passion whilst in the second circle there are depictions of the twelve apostles and the four evangelists. Further circles include the coats of arms of various local families, the Du Rusquecs, the De Rosilys, the marshal of Bodriec, De Kerlech du Chatel, the Le Forestiers and the de Berriens. There are five lancets below the rose window.

The gisant of Saint Herbot

Saint-Herbot 13 Eglise Gisant de saint Herbot

This

is a granite effigy that depicts Saint Herbot in relief, dressed in a long robe and an

aventail An aventail () or camail () is a flexible curtain of mail (armour), mail attached to the skull of a helmet that extends to cover at least the neck, but often also the throat and shoulders. Part or all of the face, with spaces to allow vision, cou ...

or camail. There is a pilgrim's staff beneath his left arm and by his right arm is a pouch and a book.

Notes

Note 1: Saint Herbot, born in Great Britain, was the patron saint of cattle and those who traded in milk products. According to legend, he owned two white cows who had supernatural strength and enabled him to work at a miraculous rate. When he died he left the two cows to the local farm workers on condition that every evening they brought them to his tomb. The workers failed to follow his instruction and the two cows disappeared! On the day set aside for the "pardon", the Wednesday before Trinity Sunday, the faithful leave on the church altar, milk, butter and even tuffs of hair cut from cattle to secure Saint Herbot's favour.

References

{{coord, 48.3277, -3.8092, display=title Calvaries in Brittany Churches in Finistère Parish closes in Brittany