ARCHITECTURE
SAINT HERLE CHURCH
INSIDE
The church is composed of a central nave with five bays. There are two aisles along the two bays at the back and four aisles along the other three bays, a transept, two projecting oriented
chapels, a three-sided apse, an occidental steeple and a meridional porch. It was builty mostly in the second half of the 16 th century (from 1550 to 1557). It was partly modified in the 17th and
18 th centuries.
OUTSIDE
The windows are surmounted by triangular frontons of gothic style linked together by a delicately carved balustrade overhanging gothic gargoyles.
SOUTH PORCH : rib vaulted the porch is perforated with a pointed arch adorned with leaves. The bears central stone the date of 1673. The twelve canopied niches are lined with twisted columns separated by a pier holding kersanton font, two twin doors give acces to the church. On the front, a polychrome wood statue of Christ blessing, dated from the XVII th century, and restored has been put.
The apse, erected in 1660 skows a face at the top of the central bay : probably Christ's face on Veronica's veil.
On the left buttress a carved stone evokes Jesus's passion : pierced hands, feet and heart, crown of thorns, cross, a head (Christ's).
The tower : its building was undertaken in 1648 (date written at the foot of the tower). The galleries in three levels are delicately pierced.
The pinnacles stand on the four quoins of the square tower : two are of gothic style and the other two of Renaissance style.
The spire was built during the 17th century.
Walking round the Church you will make some more interesting discoveries.
The vestry shows four small angels carved on the buttresses.
