Saint-Thégonnec (; ) is a former commune in the

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.department 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 northwestern

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 ...

. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune

Saint-Thégonnec Loc-Eguiner Saint-Thégonnec Loc-Eguiner (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of western France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2016 and consists of the former communes of Saint-Thégonnec and Loc-Eguiner-Saint-Thégonnec. ...

.Arrêté préfectoral
23 December 2015 The village is noted for its very elaborate

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 ...

, one of a number in the area, which include

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 ...

and

Lampaul-Guimiliau Lampaul-Guimiliau (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Finistère Departments of France, department and Regions of France, administrative region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in north-western France. It is noted for its pa ...

Population

Inhabitants of Saint-Thégonnec are called ''Saint-Thégonnecois''.

Breton language

The municipality launched a linguistic plan through

Ya d'ar brezhoneg (, ) is a campaign started in the 21st century by the () to promote and stimulate the use of the Breton language in daily life in Brittany, northwestern France. Breton is a Brythonic Celtic language which has fallen out of general use since the ...

on 25 March 2005.

Parish close

is an enclosed area around the parish church, including the church yard and a number of other features. In common with others in the area, the Saint-Thégonnec close features a large ceremonial entrance arch, stressing the importance of the close as a focus for pilgrimage and

pardons A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...

. An impressive

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. ...

crucifix A crucifix (from the Latin meaning '(one) fixed to a cross') is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the (Latin for 'body'). The cru ...

forms the focus of the church yard. As at nearby

, there is a separate

charnel house A charnel house is a vault or building where human skeletal remains are stored. They are often built near churches for depositing bones that are unearthed while digging graves. The term can also be used more generally as a description of a plac ...

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 ...

, with a life-sized tableau of the

Entombment A tomb ( ''tumbos'') or sepulchre () is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called ''immurement'', althou ...

of Christ. The interior of the church is exemplary of the local version of

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

style, with a large quantity of

polychrome Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery, or sculpture in multiple colors. When looking at artworks and ...

sculpture and decoration, including a spectacular

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 ...

. See

Saint-Thégonnec Parish close The Saint-Thégonnec Parish close (Enclos paroissial) is located at Saint-Thégonnec (Sant Tegoneg in Breton) in the arrondissement of Morlaix in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in north-western France. The enclos paroissial comprises ...

References

Image:St Thegonnec - church.jpg, The church and entrance to parish close. Image:4205.Triumphpforte(Porte de Triomphe-1587)-Saint Thégonnec-Umfriedeter Pfarrbezirk(enclos paroissial)-Département Finistère-Region Bretagne-France.JPG, Ceremonial entrance arch. File:Bretagne Finistere SThegonnec2 tango7174.jpg, Detail of

. File:Bretagne Finistere SThegonnec3 tango7174.jpg, 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 ...

. File:Bretagne Finistere SThegonnec4 tango7174.jpg, Retable 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 ...

. File:Bretagne Finistere SThegonnec5 tango7174.jpg, Retable of the Holy Sacrament. Image:St Thegonnec - Deposition.jpg, Detail from the Entombment in the

: St

John the Apostle John the Apostle (; ; ), also known as Saint John the Beloved and, in Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Saint John the Theologian, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Generally listed as the youngest apostle, he ...

and 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 ...

. Image:St Thegonnec - Madonna.JPG, Folding

triptych A triptych ( ) is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided into three sections, or three carved panels that are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all m ...

of the

Madonna and Child In Christian art, a Madonna () is a religious depiction of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a singular form or sometimes accompanied by the Child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word ...

in the parish church. Image:St Thegonnec - Mark.jpg,

St Mark Mark the Evangelist (Koine Greek, Koinē Greek: Μᾶρκος, romanized: ''Mârkos''), also known as John Mark (Koine Greek, Koinē Greek language, Greek: Ἰωάννης Μᾶρκος, Romanization of Greek, romanized: ''Iōánnēs Mârkos;'' ...

, from a set of

Four Evangelists In Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are Matthew the Apostle, Matthew, Mark the Evangelist, Mark, Luke the Evangelist, Luke, and John the Evangelist, John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four canonical Gospel accounts ...

decorating the pulpit. Image:St Thegonnec - Luke.jpg,

Relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

St Luke Luke the Evangelist was one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of the canonical gospels. The Early Church Fathers ascribed to him authorship of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Prominent figu ...

on the pulpit. Image:St Thegonnec - pulpit.jpg, Polychrome decorative moulding from the pulpit. Image:Thegonnec - St Pol.jpg, St Pol, an important

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally **Breton people **Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Gale ...

saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

statue in the parish church. Image:St Thegonnec - Christopher.jpg, Polychrome statue of

St Christopher Saint Christopher (, , ; ) is venerated by several Christian denominations. According to these traditions, he was a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman emperor Decius (), or alternatively under the emperor Maximinus Daia (). ...

and the infant Christ in the parish church.

Twin city

* Silverton, Devon, England, since 2008.

External links

* Former communes of Finistère {{Finistère-geo-stub