Aitia

France - 09-Feb-25 -

The parish enclosures of Finistère were added very recently to the French indicative list, and this nomination file should be put forward soon by France (perhaps 2029?). It was entrusted to a former French Minister of Culture, residing in Brittany, who contributed to the successful inscription of the city of Nice in 2021.
One might wonder why France chose a bid focused once again on Christian architecture. In fact, this choice is more judicious than it seems.

First, these parish churches are very original. Modest in size but very decorated, they are made up of several elements: a decorated monumental porch, a surrounding wall, with a monumental entrance and an "échalier" (to prevent animals from accessing this sacred space), a sculpted calvary, and an ossuary.

These buildings provide a striking testimony of the Breton culture of death. To see how fascinated the Bretons were by this, I recommend the collection of stories of "La légende de la mort" by Anatole Le Braz: the stories about "Ankou" (personification of Death) are among the most fascinating.

Finally, these churches were not financed by the local nobility, but by associations of peasants enriched by the cultivation of flax in the 16th and 17th centuries (used for boat sails). At that time, Brittany was one of the richest regions in Europe, and Breton merchants were present in all the ports of Europe. Thanks to this and the invention of printing, this part of Brittany was influenced by architectural styles from France, Italy and Flanders. These influences gave birth to a unique architectural style.

Currently 31 sites are on the tentative list, but the final list should include about 15 sites, the most authentic and complete. Among them, we should find the enclosures of Pleyben, Guimiliau, Lampaul-Guimiliau and St-Thégonnec. The last 3 are very easy to visit since they are located within 10 km. We can notice the rivalry between these parishes, who wanted to have the largest, the highest, or the most decorated enclosure! 
In summary, here is a series of monuments that provides an interesting testimony to this original Breton culture, where Christianity was nourished by folklore and beliefs about death. 
(photo : St-Thégonnec)