St Joseph's Church, Pont-Aven

St Joseph's Church (French: Église paroissiale Saint-Joseph) is a parish church located in Pont-Aven in Brittany, France.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} There is an organized exposition of religious paintings and reproductions of paintings in the nearby Tremalo Chapel.^[6][7][8] As the church is adjacent to rue Émile Bernard, some of Émile Bernard's paintings are showcased there.^[6][8]

History

• Dating: third quarter of the 19th century^[4][7][9]
• Years: 1874, 1875^[4][7][9]

This church constructed in the place of the old church of Pont-Aven since the old church was deteriorating, becoming unsafe due to needed construction, and had become too small for the needs of worship.^[9] In 1853, the church had 1,036 inhabitants, but could only house 250 inside for worship.^[9] The old church had been around since the 17th century and had been authorized for construction by Marquise de Pont-Calleck.^[9] Services were conducted by the parish of Nizon.^[9] It had been given the status of a parish in 1805.^[9]

The new church was announced to begin construction in 1874 by mayor Satre.^[9] The church was built at Place de l’Eglise according to plans by diocesan architect Joseph Bigot, between 1874 and 1875, by contractor Louis Bergé and by Jean-Louis Le Naour for the bell tower.^[7][9][10] The narrowness of the land acquired by the municipality for construction guided the building plan leading to the creation of a false transept.^[4][7]

While the new church was being built, services were temporarily held in a carpentry workshop and an adjoining courtyard (the Brunou sawmill on the Xavier Grall promenade).^[9] A fig tree housed one of the bells during this time.^[9]

It was consecrated on April 30, 1878.^[7][9]

In 1885, the new Stations of the Cross were erected.^[7]

In 1888, the choir and the vault were painted.^[7]

It used to have three bells named La Joséphine of 1807, La Joseph-Marie-Thaïs Élisabeth, and La Joseph Alain Marie of 1841.^[7][9] In 1897, they were replaced by three bells named Christine Emmanuel of 308 kg, Mathilde Alain of 213 kg, and Anastasie-Baptiste of 151 kg.^[7][9] These names were inspired by their respected godparents.^[7][9]

The Medals of the Tanguy Abbots

The church holds the two War Crosses and a Legion of Honor that were dedicated posthumously to Joseph Tanguy and Francis Tanguy (referred to as the Tanguy Abbots), a priest and vicar from Pont-Aven that worked at the Church of Pont-Aven.^{[7][9][11][12]} Though the two share a surname, they are not related.^[11][12] During World War II, as the Nazis began to invade France in May and June of 1940, lots of refugees arrived to Pont-Aven and the two clergymen took them in.^[7][11][12] The two clergymen actively defied the Nazis by helping people escape compulsory labor service and would preach against the Nazi invaders in Sunday sermons.^[11][12] They sheltered two American airmen who were downed during an air battle over Bannalec and had landed in Logan at Le Trévoux on December 31st, 1943.^[11][12] When the Nazis learned of this, both clergymen were arrested by the Gestapo on January 3rd, 1944 and taken to the Saint-Charles prison in Quimper where they were questioned about their participation in the French Resistance network.^[7][9][11] They were held there until April of 1944 and then transferred to Auschwitz.^[11] Ending up in the Buchenwald concentration camp, Joseph Tanguy died of mistreatment, illness, and exhaustion in May 1944.^[11] Francis Tanguy was then moved to KZ Flossenbürg in June where he would stay until dying of starvation and exhaustion in September 1994.^[11] The text below their names in the case that holds their two War Crosses and their Legion of Honor reads: "We fear nothing; we are ready for anything. The vicar and I have offered our lives for the salvation of France and your parishioners. April 1941."^[11] A monument in their memory is located in the Pont-Aven cemetery and is known as the "Abbés Tanguy".^[11] A stained glass window is also dedicated to them in the church.^[9][11]

Description

• Main structure and implementation: granite, stone, plaster, rubble, concrete^[4]
• Roof: slate^[4]
• Plan: Latin cross^[4]
• Nave and floor: three sections^[4]
• Type and nature of the cover: cover paneling^[4]
• External elevation: elevation span^[4]
• Type of roofing: roof with long expanses; polygonal steeple in masonry^[4]

Descriptive comment: Latin cross with three aisles.^[4] Sacristy to the north at the fifth bay.^[4] South porch in alignment with the third bay.^[4] Western gate in arch inscribed in a front building topped by an open bell tower chamber, cushioned by a hexagonal steeple.^[4] Structural work in the rubble coated, except the western elevation and window bays and quoins, stone.^[4] Two lateral chapels, one to the north, and one to the south, at the seventh bay, forming a false transept.^[4] The nave has seven bays covered with paneling painted blue tie-in.^[4] Arched vaults directly into the chamfered square pillars.^[4] The floor is covered with slabs of granite.^[4]

The design is said to be "modern neo-gothic".^{[4][7][9][13]}

The church was restored in 2003 and 2004 and a new rooster was added at the top because the old one had been riddled with bullet holes and rifle impacts.^[9][13] The restoration also included the roof, the stonework of the facade and the bell tower, and the interior paintings.^[9]

Art

Paintings

There are three paintings in the church by Émile Bernard, a French Post-Impressionist painter and writer.^[7]

The paintings are:^[6][7]

• Crucifixion, 1896
• Mise au tombeau, vers 1900
• Portement de croix, 1905

There is another crucifixion piece that is a work from André Even, a local 20th century painter, that is dedicated, "To my native parish".^[7][9]

Another painting is from Father Alain Bouler, another native artist.^[7]

Stained glass windows

The stained glass windows were created by Job Guével and depict many scenes of Saints and Jesus Christ.^[1][7][9]

Some scenes depicted include:^[1][7][9]

• The cult of Saint Mathurin
• A Breton Pilgrim at the Tomb of Saint Mathurin
• Saint Guénolé presenting Saint Guénaël to his companions
• Saint John the Baptist pouring water over the head of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River
• The life of Saint Joseph
• The death of Saint Joseph

There is also a stained glass window that pays homage to the Abbots Tanguy (Joseph and Francis Tanguy), a priest and vicar from Pont-Aven who were deported and died in concentration camps during World War II.^{[1][7][9][12]}