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Origin and history

The parish enclosure of Sizun, located in Finistère in Brittany, is a religious architectural complex built between the 16th and 18th centuries. Filed with historical monuments, it consists of the church of Saint-Suliau, an ossuary chapel (1585-1588), a triumphal Renaissance arch (1588-1590) called Porz-ar-Maro (gate of the dead), and an 18th century sacristy. This enclosure, typical of Leon's country, reflects the economic prosperity associated with the trade in canvases and the influence of the lords of Rohan, Viscounts of Leon, who were probably patrons of it.

The church, rebuilt and enlarged in the seventeenth century, preserves four central pillars of origin (XVIe) and a porch dated 1514. His Latin cross plan includes a nave with low sides, two transepts (1638-1644) and a Beaumanoir choir. The furniture, like the high altar (XVIIe), the retables (including that of the Rosary by Jean Berthouloux, 1668), and the organ of Thomas Dallam (XVIIe), illustrates the artistic fascist of the period. The Ossuary chapel, dedicated to the deceased, has a facade decorated with the statues of the twelve Apostles and the coat of arms of the Rohan, while the triumphal arch served as a place of preaching.

The Revolution temporarily transformed the ossuary into the hall of the Public Salvation Committee. In the 19th century, the widening of the road partially altered the enclosures, removing steps from the arch. The construction campaigns were divided into three phases: the late 16th century (nef, ossuary, arc), the 1660-1700s (transe, choir, sacristy), and the mid 18th century (clocher, 1728-1735). Local materials (granite, kerantite, shale) and traditional techniques (lambing, carved sandstones) highlight regional anchoring.

The enclosures, today communal property, also houses precious liturgical objects: a bust-reliquary of St.Suliau (1625), silver chalices (XVI-XVIIIe), and a banner of the 18th. The recent restoration (2009-2012) has preserved its polychromy and frame. A symbol of Breton piety and craftsmanship, it attracts visitors for its architecture and role in forgiveness, thus perpetuating local traditions.

The monumental arch, 14.5 m wide, is surmounted by a calvary and decorated with Corinthian columns, typical of the Renaissance. The ossuary chapel, with its apostolic niches and inscriptions Memento Mori, recalls the memorial function of the place. The church, on the other hand, houses classified altarpieces (such as that of the Agonizers) and an eighteenth century pulpit, testimonies of the iconographic and spiritual richness of the enclosures.

Finally, the Gothic bell tower (1728-1735), 56 m high, dominates the whole without foundations, resting on four pillars. Its style contrasts with the octagonal arrow and bell towers, adding to the architectural diversity of the site. The carved sandstones and stained glass windows complete this heritage, where each element tells a page of the religious and social history of Brittany.

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