Calvary at Landrévarzec

Background and description

The Quilinen Calvary was erected in 1547. On the shaft of the central cross are two small ledges on which there are statues depicting John the Evangelist and two female saints and at the base of the cross is a pietà or "Notre-Dame de Pitié" depicting the Virgin Mary with her dead son across her lap and accompanied by one of the female saints and John the Evangelist. At the back of the cross is a depiction of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus in her arms and a little higher up the shaft is a depiction of Mary Magdalene with her pot of ointment. At the summit of the cross on the reverse side of the depiction of the crucifixion there is a depiction of the resurrected Christ. The two smaller crosses bear the contorted bodies of the two robbers executed alongside Jesus. The calvary is triangular in shape and around the pedestal's platform are depictions of each of the apostles and their attributes. St Peter holds a key, Andrew the Apostle a cross, James the Less a fuller's club and a closed book, John the Evangelist a chalice, Bartholomew the Apostle a knife, James the Elder a club and an open book.  St Philip holds a cross and a closed book, Matthew the Evangelist a bill-hook and a book in a bag. Thomas the Apostle holds an open book and a set-square, Simon the Zealot a saw and an open book, Matthew the Evangelist holds a halberd and a closed book. One statue is missing and Judas Iscariot carries a stick and a cleaver. Also included is a statue of St Yves. Quilinen is part of the commune of Landrévarzec. The calvary stands next to the chapel and there is also a fountain nearby. The Notre-Dame-de-Quilinen Chapel dates to the end of the 15th century and the calvary to the 16th century and has been a "Monuments Historiques" since 1925.

Recommended reading

"Sculpteurs sur pierre en Basse-Bretagne. Les Ateliers du XVe au XVIIe Siècle" by Emmanuelle LeSeac'h. Published by Presses Universitaires de Rennes. ISBN 978-2-7535-3309-7.