Let me take you to another wonderful off the beaten path site in my lovely Bretagne. However, the locals know it well and we love it even the market. I have enjoyed the visits to La Roche Maurice in the Finistére dept 29, and I am amazed of the monuments of great architecture and historical value here. Therefore, let me update this post on the Church Saint Yves of La Roche Maurice !! Hope you enjoy it as I.
The parish enclosure of La Roche Maurice consists of a modest Calvary but an ossuary and a church remarkably characteristic of the Leonardo Renaissance. I am translating from the City page on both as already plenty of history from my library in other posts. First, the Calvary is formed by three crosses representing the crucified Christ surrounded by two thieves in Henry II costume. The current parish church has replaced a 14C medieval chapel dedicated to Saint-Yves . It was built in the 16C. It was first the trevial church of Ploudiry until 1791. The Rohans ceded the land for free and paid numerous subsidies to help rebuild the church, which lasted nearly half a century. Indeed, the stained glass window in the apse dates from 1589; the south portal would be from 1550, the bell tower, 60 meters high, would be from 1589. It is characteristic of the Leonardo Renaissance with its double gallery and its double chamber of bells. The south portal consists of two twin doors, framed by a Flamboyant Renaissance arcade, in which are nestled the twelve apostles. The stained glass window represents in twenty-one paintings the essential scenes of the passion of Christ. The tympanum is divided into fourteen bellows with the coats of arms of the Rohans and their allies. The work was influenced by Flemish art. Made in 1539, the stained glass was removed and cleaned in 1715; the coat of arms broken during the French revolution was repaired in 1870. Revised in 1937, it was removed and saved from Nazis looting in 1942. It was reassembled from July 11 to 20, 1950 after being stored in Valy-Névez. It is framed on the left by the statue of Notre-Dame de Bon-Secours and on the right by the polychrome group of Saint-Yves between the rich and the poor.
The Bell Tower of about 60 meters high dates from 1589. At the base of the Bell Tower, there is an ionic gate dated 1589, accosted and topped by niches sheltering the statues of Saint Yves, Saint Pascal Baylon and Saint Vincent Ferrier. The south Portal is dated 1550. The cowl of the southern Portal dates from 1520-1530 with the canopy of the cowl is adorned with four busts and is topped by the statue of Saint Maudez or Maurice, in Abbot’s outfit, c.1520.
The rood screen of La Roche Maurice is one of the most beautiful in Brittany. Executed around 1570-1580, in polychrome sculpted oak, it looks like a bridge connecting the two large piers that delimited the choir. This gallery is accessed by a staircase in the right pier. On panels of the gallery, many characters: on the side of the heart, twelve statues in low relief; on the side of the nave, twelve other statues in the round. Above the rood screen stands Christ on the cross, surrounded by the Virgin and Saint John, The external ossuary is a success of the Leonardo Renaissance. The base of this side façade bears a gallery of seven characters, some of which were hammered during the French revolution, symbolizing the various social categories dependent on death, represented at the corner of the southern buttress by a skeleton (the ankou) brandishing a dart and proclaiming: “I kill you all”. At the door of the south gable, we also find another Latin inscription, dated 1640: “Remember, man, that you are only dust”.Beyond the rood screen, in the north side, one recognizes the ox of Luke, the lion of Mark and the eagle of John. The second series, below the rood screen, carries live scenes: pouching scenes, burial of a corpse with crossed legs and lying on a cart drawn by two horses. On the nave and in the niches of the gallery are the nine Apostles from left to right are Philip, André, Thomas, Jude, Matthew, James the miner, Mathias, Simon, James the major and undoubtedly three Popes, the seated characters, wearing a tiara in the niches.
Behind the altar is a large stained glass window dated 1539. The front door, dated 1550. The coat of arms of the northern Altar is from 1545. The altarpiece is from 1650 , stained glass, dated 1539 with a surface is 21 meters and has 15 scenes depicting the passion and resurrection of Christ. There are the 14 coats of arms of Rohan and allied families. The five lancets present a detailed account of the passion of Christ and the crucifixion occupies the two upper registers of the three central lancets. The panelled vaults have carved sandpits and beams of scenes from daily life done in 1559-1561. On the choir side and in the niches of the gallery, there are many saints venerated in Brittany such as Saint Paul Aurélien and his dragon, St. Augustine or St. Blaise, St. Christopher, Saint Michael terrassing the Dragon, Mary Magdalene and her vase, Christ risen, St. Catherine, St. Barbara and her Tower, Saint Apolline and the pliers of her torment, St. Dominic or St. Gilles, St. Genevieve and her unquenchable candle, St. Margaret and her dragon.
Aside from the Church Saint Yves you can see an Ossuary quite impressive too. Built between 1639 and 1640 as the Saint Anne chapel. It has five windows on each side of the central entrance and above the door a triangular pediment. On the façade seven carvings depict seven people from different levels of society and death is represented with the “Ankou”,(skeleton) armed with an arrow and giving the chilling warning “I will kill you all” (“Je vous tue tous”) and another inscription of 1640 reminds us that we are of but dust (“Souviens-toi, homme que tu n’es que poussière”). ” Remember men that you are only but dust”. Built in a mixture of Logonna stone and schiste and in the Renaissance style.
The city of La Roche Maurice on the parroquial enclosure: https://larochemaurice.fr/leglise-saint-yves-et-lenclos-paroissial/
The local Landerneau-Daoulas tourist office on the parroquial enclosure : https://www.tourisme-landerneau-daoulas.fr/sortir-bouger/activites-culturelles-et-patrimoine/patrimoine-culturel/enclos-paroissial-de-la-roche-maurice-5072
The SPREV association for preservation of the heritage on the Church Saint Yves:
http://www.sprev.org/centre-sprev/la-roche-maurice-eglise-saint-yves/
There you go folks, another dandy in my lovely Bretagne. These are great architecture and history of the medieval period with nice views , worth the detour to La Roche Maurice . Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Church Saint Yves of La Roche Maurice !! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 