Exploring with my camera
The Church of St Germain of Auxerre in Pleyben has all the elements of a parish enclosure – a Church surrounded by walls, a Triumphal Arch, monumental Calvary, South Porch, Ossuary, and Sacristy – and it dominates the centre of the town.
The Church of Notre-Dame in St Thégonnec, 14C-18C, is one of the ‘great’ parish enclosures, a huge and impressive complex which is perhaps not to everyone’s taste because of its size and opulence. Nevertheless, it has all the necessary components … Continued
Nantes was a powerful and prosperous city in which religion was important, as is evidenced by the many substantial and beautiful churches in addition to the Cathedral. I wasn’t visiting the town in order to see the churches but it … Continued
Finally, time off in Brittany! The overnight ferry from Portsmouth delivers us to St Malo early in the morning. I haven’t finished writing about the Parish Enclosures, but I will be returning to those in the weeks ahead.
The Church of Saint Yves was built in the 16C on the site of a 14C Chapel built by the Rohan family, the rulers in the area. From the ruined castle you can look down on the church enclosure in … Continued
The door opens to a rich collection of wall paintings, carvings, vaulted ceiling, 16C stained glass windows, statues, and a Glory Beam – this is a place for lingering, preferably alone.
The Church of St Salomon in La Martyre, like many of the parish enclosures, is built on the site of an earlier complex. And like many of the churches it had to be rebuilt after storm damage. It was in the … Continued
As people push open the door of the church and step inside there is usually a murmur, or an ‘Aah’. After the dark exterior even the dim light inside cannot hide the extravagant colours, exuberant altar pieces, and extraordinary ceilings.
Notre Dame in Lampaul-Guimiliau is one of the extraordinary Parish Enclosures in Brittany.
It is quite difficult to take ‘interesting’ but true photographs of a church. Colour? Black and white? Odd angles? Details or the broader picture? And how can I convey the sense of age, beauty, and the mix of originality and … Continued