Ploudiry Parish close
The Ploudiry Parish close is an enclos paroissial located at Ploudiry within the arrondissement of Brest, Brittany. It comprises a church, ossuary, and calvary. The Parish close was built between the 1630s and 1650s, with major renovations taking place in the 18th and 19th centuries. History The earliest structures within the Parish close date to the 1630s. Much of the old church was demolished and replaced in the 18th century, and from 1853 to 1856, a major part of the church was rebuilt according to the designs of architect Joseph Bigot. Until the French Revolution, the parish of Ploudiry was the largest in the region of Léon and served Loc-Eguiner, Ploudiry, La Martyre, La Roche-Maurice and Saint Julien d'Landerneau. It was one of the areas in the Élorn valley to be enriched by participation in the linen trade and much of this wealth was invested within the church building. It was listed as a historical monument in 1916. Eglise Saint-Pierre The main building within the Ploudiry Parish close is the Eglise Saint-Pierre. It has been renovated multiple times since being built, with much of the existing structure dated to the 18th and 19th centuries. The largest surviving feature of the original church is the south porch. Bell tower In 1850, the original bell tower collapsed, destroying the church roof. The tower was rebuilt in 1854, however, due to a lack of funds the new tower is much smaller than the original. The tower features one gallery. South porch The south porch was built in 1665 in the Renaissance style using a mixture of yellow Logonna stone and Kersanton. The entrance arcade mountings and voussoirs are decorated with figures from the Old Testament and the Passion of Jesus Christ, including prophets and church teachers. There is a Kersanton statue of Saint Sebastian in a niche on the right side buttress. At the base of the arcade and in the individual bricks of the pillars supporting the arch (piédroits) are six scenes inspired by the book of Genesis and the story of Adam and Eve. In the first piédroit at the base of the left hand pillar, Adam and Eve are in Paradise, beneath the tree. The snake has a human head and a reptilian body, and it wraps itself around part of the piédroit. Eve is reaching toward the forbidden fruit. The opposite piédroit at the base of the right-hand pillar shows Eve failing to resist the temptation. Adam and Eve are expelled from Eden, and have covered their pubic areas with a flower and their free arms cover their chests. Above Eve, an angel shakes its fist in anger. In the second piédroit on the left, Eve is shown as a mother holding a baby. Adam works in the field while Cain and Abel make sacrifices. On the far right side, Cain is shielding his eye while his brother kneels in prayer. The third piédroit on the left shows Abel in his death throes while his brother, full of regret,