Saint-Herbot Parish close
The Saint-Herbot Parish close is a religious complex outside the village Plonévez-du-Faou, Finistère, Brittany in north-western France.
The parish close (French: enclos paroissial) contains the chapel of Saint-Herbot,[1] the calvary[2] and a small ossuary.
The Saint Herbot chapel was enlarged in 1545, the chevet wall was rebuilt in around 1550 and the ossuary added in 1558 and many other changes were made in the succeeding years.
It had served as a priory but the original building was destroyed during the French wars of succession and a replacement was constructed in the 14th century.
Inside the church the choir 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).
After the black death 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.
[7] The calvary dates to 1575 and is inscribed "Cest croix fut faicte l'an 1575 Mathieu Cravec PG".
[6] Inside the porch are twelve statues depicting the apostles, each placed in elaborately decorated gothic niches.
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.
On either side of the chancel entrance which leads on to the choir are two granite tables on which worshippers could deposit their offerings to Saint Herbot (often tuffs of hair from their cattle).
Above the chancel grill is an inscription dating to 1659 with a verse from the Book of Jeremiah reading " O VOS OMNES QUI TRANSITIS PER VIAM ATTENDITE ET VIDETE SI EST DOLOR SICUT DOLOR MEUS - O VOUS TOUS PASSANTS ARRESTEZ-VOUS ET VOYEZ S'IL EST UNE DOULEUR SEMBLABLE A LA MIENNE"There is a decorated frieze on the outside of the choir 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 with key, Andrew the Apostle and his cross, John the Evangelist with a chalice, and James the Greater with a hat and a stick.
The last four panels depict James the Lesser with a St Laurent's stick, Simon the Apostle with a saw, Matthew the Evangelist with a book and halberd and Judas Iscariot with an épée.
Further panels include images of people playing the harp and viola or holding an anchor and another crossing water.
Jesus Christ is surrounded by the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist and below them are heaps of bones scattered on the ground to remind us of Golgotha.
A pelican is added to the composition to remind the congregation that Jesus was sacrificed to save the human race.
This gisant is a granite effigy that depicts Saint Herbot in relief, dressed in a long robe and an aventail or camail.
According to legend, he owned two white cows who had supernatural strength and enabled him to work at a miraculous rate.
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.
