Pencran Parish close

The Notre-Dame church, the sacristy, the two calvaries, the ossuary and the surrounding wall are a listed historical monument since 1990.

[1] Records show that there has been a religious building in Pencran since the 14th century, and in 1353 there was mention of a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

In the external voussure of the entrance arch, the carvings start on the bottom left with a lion and, after the floral decoration, ends on the right with a dragon.

A large tympanum is located over the arch, with a nativity scene depicting the Virgin Mary and Joseph on either side of the baby Jesus who lies on a bed of straw whilst above him the heads of a cow and a donkey protrude from the wall.

The double band of piédroits and voussures in the Pencran porch arch portray scenes from the Book of Genesis.

Move to the right hand side and we see an angel brandishing a sword and throwing the couple out of Paradise which is symbolised by a tree laden with leaves.

After the biblical scenes from the Book of Genesis, there are depictions in the final two piédroits of the four evangelists with their usual attributes, with Mark and John on the left and Luke and Matthew on the right.

We then have the voussures and in the double band are twenty one carvings depicting angels playing a variety of instruments; a veritable "Heavenly Host".

Inside the church porch are statues of Christ and each of the apostles stood on a richly decorated domed dais.

[3] The Renaissance style Pencran ossuary, with its triangular pediment and windows separated by ionic columns, dates to 1594 and an inscription in Breton announces that the Saint Eutrope chapel is there to receive the bones of the people ("CHAPEL.DA .SA : ITOP : DA : LAKAT : ESKERN : AN : POBL").

The main cross can be accessed by stairways on either side and on one there is an inscription reading AU MOYS DE MAY MIL VC VINGT UNG FURENT CESTES CROIX E MASSE FOUNDEES PAR JEHAN LE CAM, YVES LE JEUNE ET YVON CRAS PROCUREURS DE LA CHAPELLE DE CEANS E. R.At the base of the central cross there is a sculpture depicting Mary Magdalene on her knees in prayer and looking up towards Jesus.

The church has a 16th-century wooden altarpiece in high relief depicting the Lamentations with the Virgin Mary and others grouped around the body of Jesus which had just been brought down from the cross.

View of the south porch. In the tympanum we see the Nativity scene and we can see Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden in the first piédroit on the entrance's right.
The cross at Pencran. On the lower crosspiece back to back statues depict Mary Magdalene reversed with Saint Yves and Saint John reversed with Saint Peter. The latter are on either side of Yann Larhantec's piéta. On the upper crosspiece two cavaliers on horseback turn their heads towards Christ. At the very top of the cross a small angel holds the soul of Jesus which she will take up to heaven. On the reverse of Jesus on the cross there is a sculpture depicting Jesus awaiting the crucifixion process
Statue of Mary Magdalene outside the Pencran church