Saint Paul Aurelian Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Paul-Aurélien) is a basilica and former Roman Catholic cathedral in Saint-Pol-de-Léon, in the Finistère department in Brittany in north-western France. The 13th-century building stands on the site of an earlier church founded by Saint Paul Aurélien in the 6th century. It has been a protected monument historique since 1840.
History
It was formerly the seat of the Bishop of Saint-Pol-de-Léon, a bishopric established in the 6th century but abolished under the Concordat of 1801, when its territory was transferred to the Diocese of Quimper.
It is dedicated to its 6th-century founder, the first bishop Saint Paul Aurelian. He was originally from Wales and is considered to have been the first bishop of the Léon area. We know something of Aurélien's life thanks to a manuscript written in 884 by a Landévennec monk. Paul Aurélien was born in Wales in around 490, and educated at the Saint Iltud school. He was ordained as a priest and in 525 left Wales for the continent with a dozen companions. He landed at the Ile d'Ouessant and preached along the north Finistère coast up to the Île de Batz. According to legend, he helped free the Île de Batz from a dragon which was terrorising the local population.
The cathedral replaced an earlier romanesque basilica founded by Bishop Haman and was built in various stages. The nave, west façade and the south porch date to the 13th century and the bishopric of Bishop Desilon, whilst the choir and transept date to the early 15th century. The building was completed in the second half of the 16th century.
Built on the site of an ancient Roman church, some vestiges of which still exist. This great monument has been constructed in several stages. The present building, however, although on the same site, was built in the 13th century (with later additions). The facade with its two high towers and the remarkable nave from the 13th century made of limestone from Caen demonstrate the stylistic and economical heritage from Normandy. The western façade and the south porch date back from the 13th century whereas the chancel (choir made of granite) and the transept are from the beginning of the 15th century. The cathedral was completed in the second half of the 16th century (the ambulatory and the southern chapel). It also has an ensemble which is almost unique in Brittany.The 50-metre spires are from the end of the 14th century. In the 16th century, side chapels gave it its definitive stature. The cathedral is 80 metres long in total, 16-metre height under the vaults and 44 metres wide with the transepts.
In the north tower, there are three bells which date from more than three centuries ago, including the oldest bourden bell in Brittany, which weighs more than 2 tonnes, and was cast in 1563.
The cathedral represented the seven parishes of Minihy-Léon which in 1698 were the Crucifix de la ville, Notre-Dame de Cahel, Saint-Jean de la ville or Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Toussaints, Saint-Pierre, Crucifix des Champs and Saint-Jean l'Evangéliste or Trégondern. Amongst the many altars in the cathedral are altars dedicated to each of these parishes. In 1901 the cathedral was designated the "Basilique Mineure de l'Annonciation".
Exterior The cathedral façade is dominated by two polygonal unsymmetrical towers with a height nearing 50 metres. Above the central door is a terrace which enabled the bishop to address a crowd and give blessings and under the right-hand tower is a small door used in the Middle Ages as an entrance for lepers.
South portal
The south porch is decorated with statues of John the Evangelist and St Simon carved by the Yves Hernot workshop in the 19th century on one side and St Andrew and St Peter carved by Guy Pavec in 1980 on the other. It leads to double doors which give access to the cathedral. In the trumeau between the two doors is a statue of Christ giving a blessing and in the tympanum over the doors is a statue of the Virgin Mary, Between the two doors leading into the cathedral there is also a stoup with the coat of arms of the Lomérals of Plounéventer. On the left are the arms of Monseigneur Ferron and on the right the Validire arms. Monseigneur Validire was the Bishop of Léon from 1427 to 1432.
The west porch The west porch has statues of Saint Thomas, Saint Pol and Saint Paul.
Interior
Near the south portal and inside the cathedral are two stoups. The stoup on the right bears the arms of Monseigneur Robert Cupif (1639-1646). That on the left is decorated with carvings of frogs, lizards and eels. Also in this area is a sarcophagus thought to date back to the 11th century and believed by some historians to be the grave of Conan Meriadoc, the legendary first Christian king of Brittany. This sarcophagus is 2.34 metres in length and is decorated with many carvings including that of a tree without leaves, a traditional image of death.
Floor plan
The south aisle
The baptistery and Acts of Mercy window
The cathedral has a baptistery carved from oak located to the right of the south porch entrance. It was the work of the local studio of Derrien-Pondaven and dates to 1897. This area was formerly the chapel of Saint Martin and Monseigneur de Kersauzon's tomb was located here until moved to the choir area. The font itself is carved from granite. The chapel has three small windows, of which one depicts four of the Corporal Acts of Mercy: healing the sick, feeding the hungry, giving hospitality to travellers and freeing captives. This window dates to 1560 and is one of the oldest in the cathedral. The window bears the arms of the Kerseau family of le Minihy. Some of the pillar capitals in this area are remnants of the earlier Roman basilica.
The south transept
Rose window
This window was the work of the Lobin glass painting workshop in Tours and dates to 1873. The window was a gift from some Saint-Pol-de-Léon clerics. At the heart of the window is a depiction of the Holy Trinity and around this image are eight depictions of angels playing various musical instruments and in a ring around these eight depictions are a further sixteen depictions of prophets, martyrs and saints either singing or playing instruments. Six panels at the base of the window depict the Passion. Beneath this window are two tomb niches. Here one can see a small door which was at one time used to access the cemetery which once surrounded the cathedral. Near to this rose window is an altar in white marble dedicated to the Sacred Heart.
Also in the south transept is a statue of Joan of Arc by Charles Desvergnes and nearby a statue of saint Paul Aurélien. There is also a statue of StAnthony the Hermit (51) dating to 1750, and nearby two crucifix. One dates to the 15th century and came from the "Crucifix des Champs" one of the seven parishes of Minihy-Léon. The second crucifix is known as the "Crucifix de la ville". There is also a painting of Jesus on the cross entitled "La Déploration". This oil painting is signed Charles Lefebvre and dates to 1846. It was a gift to the cathedral from Napoleon III in around 1860. The Virgin Mary is shown kissing Jesus' feet. Beneath this painting is an enfeu which bears the coat of arms of Trédern, a family who lived at Plougoulm. According to Peyron, Guillaume de Trédern, a canon of Léon had founded a chapel devoted to Saint Jérôme in 1510 and an altar can be seen to the right of the enfeu, this altar dedicated to Saint Jérôme. Another oil painting in this area is entitled "Présentation de la règle des Minimes par Saint François de Paule". This 17th-centiury painting is located to the left of Lefebvre's masterpiece. It came from the Minimes chapel which was demolished in 1893. It depicts a Franciscan friar, almost certainly Saint Francis of Paola, holding the book laying down the rules of the Minimes group. On the book is an inscription reading "Haec regula mitis et sancta". He holds the book up to a crowd of onlookers which includes various clerics.
The third painting in the south transept depicts the Annunciation. It had been displayed in the cathedral choir area during the 1901 celebration when the cathedral was designated a basilica; the basilica of the Annunciation. Just by this painting and in the third ogive there is a cartouche surmounted by a mitre and cross carried by two angels. The cartouche bears the coat of arms of Monseigneur Guy le Clerc who was the Léon bishop from 1514 to 1521 and his motto "Battons et Abattons". Guy le Clerc was almoner to Queen Claude de France, the wife of François the First.
The south ambulatory
Saint-Roch chapel and altar (45) This altar dates to 1854 and has a statue of saint Roch on the left side and saint Sebastian on the right side. Saint Roch and saint Sebastian were the two saints most invoked to rid an area of the plague. An oil painting in the chapel depicts saint Francis de Sales receiving the scapular. He was the Bishop of Geneva. The altar represents the parish of Saint-Jean l'Evangile, one of the seven parishes of Minihy-Léon. Just by the saint Roch altar there is an enfeu containing the tomb of Jean Le Scaff who was the sénéchal of Léon in 1500 and his wife Anne du Bois of Kerlosquet. The tomb, in engraved black marble, is just by the Saint-Roch chapel. On the tomb there is a carving showing the arms of the Le Scaff family. The vaulting in the chapel bears the heraldic shields of the Kerrom and Carman-Lesquelen families as well as that of the Kerliviry de Cléder family. In this chapel are two stained glass windows. One is dedicated to the Le Scaffs and depicts saint Michael looking down on the fires of hell and the other shows John the Evangelist at Patmos.
The "fires of hell" window of three lancets depicts the last judgement with saint Michael looking down on the fires of hell with demons and some of the damned squirming in torment. The window also depicts the donors, Jean le Scaff and his wife. It dates to the first half of the 16th century and was restored at the end of the 19th century.
Saint Jean à Patmos window This window is by Lobin of Tours and dates to 1888. The window also bears the coat of arms of Penhout allied with Parcevaux. John is shown on his knees writing as a vision of God appears to him. The Tetramorph appear in the tracery.
In the vaulting keystone facing this window is a shield bearing the arms of Forêt Villeneuve. In 1487 there had been an abbot of Saint-Mathieu of this name who came from Minihy. Between the Le Scaff window and that depicting John at Patmos is a small painting on wood dating to the 16th century. It depicts the "Adoration des Mages". There is also a large wooden crucifix in the chapel which came from the Minihy parish of "Le crucifix des champs". As we leave the Saint-Roch chapel we see three small altars with a credence and a piscina. The first two altars are carved from white stone whilst the third which faces the Sainte-Anne chapel is carved from Kersanton. The altarpiece of this third altar depicts the Virgin Mary with the body of Jesus laid across her knees.
Saint Anne's chapel, altar and altarpiece (42) The chapel altar dates to the 17th century and has a statue of St Anne in the centre, St Vincent de Paul on the left side and St Francis on the right side. A stained glass window in the chapel depicts six scenes from the lives of St Anne and Joachim, parents of the Virgin Mary. The window dates to 1891 and was the work of Hucher fils (Fabrique du Carmel du Mans). The six scenes depicted are the Angel Gabriel ordering Joseph to go to the golden gate, Joseph meeting Anne at the golden gate, the Virgin Mary being presented at the temple, the Grand Priest refusing the gifts of Joseph and Anne, the Angel Gabriel ordering Anne to go to the golden gate and the birth of Mary. The altar in the chapel is said to hold relics of St Emilien. Also in the chapel is an oil painting showing Anne teaching Mary.