La Martyre Parish close

The La Martyre Parish close (Enclos paroissial) is located in the arrondissement of Brest in Brittany in north-western France.

The La Martyre complex comprises the parish church dedicated to Saint Salomon, a "porte triomphale" and an ossuary/chapel.

It was founded by the Rohan family and replaced an earlier church which had been called "Notre Dame du Merzer".

[1] The building to the left of the entrance was once the look-out post from which the borders of the medieval kingdom, then the duchy of Cornouaille, were watched.

Further down two angels are depicted holding banners with extracts from a 1575 religious poem "Mirouer de la mort".

These two reliefs are positioned on either side of a depiction of a necklace or chain of office said to be the "Order of St Michel".

[1][2] The church possesses a beautiful south porch dating to 1450-1455 and celebrating the Nativity with scenes from Jesus Christ's childhood carved into the arch's voussures.

In the angle of the arch, two small winged angels hold the coat of arms of the local Kersauzon family who had donated funds for the church building.

A depiction of the crowning of the Virgin Mary decorates the summit of the gable, a theme said to have been inspired by the tympanum on the porch of the church in Senlis (there was no reference to such an event in the Bible).

On the "trumeau" between the two doors by which one can access the church once inside the porch, is a depiction of the Virgin Mary with child.

In his "The Legend of Death", Anatole Le Braz, a 19th-century writer and collector of legends, described the Ankou thus: "The Ankou is the henchman of Death (oberour ar maro) and he is also known as the grave yard watcher who is said to protect the graveyard and the souls of the dead.

The Saint Salomon church in La Martyre
Map showing the location of La Martyre
The central arch of the "porte triomphale". We can see the three crosses of the Calvary, the pietà over the central arch, the balustraded walkway and the Rohan coat of arms
The entrance to the ossuary positioned to the right of the south porch. At the top of the facade and within the gable ("pignon") area is a lantern like structure which contains the depiction of a small kneeling angel and under this is a depiction of Saint Aurelian (Saint Pol de Léon) who has just slain a dragon. A woman and a man stand on either side, their hands behind their backs. Also in the gable area are small reliefs depicting a man with a beard on the left and a man without a beard on the right. Beneath Saint Aurelian and on the architrave are depictions of a woman on the left and a man on the right. They are positioned on either side of a depiction of the "Order of Saint Michel". The woman has long hair and has one hand resting on her chest whilst, with the other hand, she points across to the man on the right who brandishes a skull and a bone. Below two angels hold banners with inscriptions in Breton. [ 1 ]
The stoup in the church porch with a depiction of the "Ankou" with arrow. He holds the head of a child. [ 2 ] [ 6 ]