Kreisker chapel

The north portal and porch is carved from granite. The triangular pediment over the porch had held carvings of the coats of arms of many of the chapel's benefactors but these were chiseled away during the French Revolution. At the porch's summit is a statue of the Virgin Mary with child which dates to the 15th century. The external arcade of the porch is decorated with ten statuettes depicting bearded patriarchs. In the Voussoirs are carvings of vine leaves, thistles and cabbages. Inside the porch five niches on either side hold niches but no statues were ever completed to fill them. The porch leads to two doors giving entry to the cathedral and these are decorated with carvings of different kinds of foliage, monsters, domestic animals griffons and chimères.

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  View of the statue of the Virgin Mary and child at the top of the north porch
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  The north porch
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  The north porch carvings
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  The north porch carvings

Above the portal of the south porch is a tribune known as the "benediction"

The south porch

The Kreisker chapel pulpit

The Kreisker pulpit ("chaire à prêcher") in fact came from the cathedral in 1975. It dates to the 18th century. The "abat-voix" is covered by a dome surmounted by an angel playing a trumpet. Two caryatids decorate the pulpit and the pulpit stairway is decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the Virgin Mary with child, Saint Paul and Saint Paul Aurélien.[1]

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  The Autel de la Vierge
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  One of the bas-reliefs on the autel de la Vierge.
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  One of the bas-reliefs on the autel de la Vierge.

Péron was a principal of the Léon college who died in 1827.

"Christ aux liens"

This dramatic sculpture of Jesus Christ awaiting crucifixion, his hands tied and his body bloodied from the beating he had sustained dates to the 16th century. The statue is carved from wood and polychromed. This statue is shown on the front cover.[2]

This two-tiered altar, the altar of the Visitation, came from the Convent of the Minimes which was subsequently destroyed and was moved to the Kreisker chapel after the French revolution. It dates back to 1684 and was the work of the sculptors Guillaume and François Lerrel. It is a magnificent piece and the inscription on the pediment reads "OMNIA IN GLORIA DOMINI ; IHS ; MAR". The altar has four twisted columns, magnificently carved, and a painting on canvas of the "visitation" and a copy of the "Albane". The doors of the altar's tabernacle are decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the prophet Elijah in the desert and the sacrifice of Abraham on the doors of the altar's tabernacle as well as the last supper. The altar is also decorated with statues of Saint Nicholas and Sainte Marguerite. On the altarpiece are another two bas-reliefs that on the left representing Saint Raymond de Pennafort at sea accompanied by two of his followers and that on the right a bishop receiving "le cordon" from Saint Francis whilst an angel holds the cross Saint Francis is carried on the clouds. The painting is a copy of the painting of the Albane the original of which can be seen in the Bordeaux museum.[3]

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  The altar depicting the "Visitation" in the Kreisker chapel. Note the oil painting in the centre depicting the "visitation"
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  Statue to the left of the central painting depicting the visitation. Thought to be Saint Augustine.
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  One of the bas-reliefs on the altarpiece depicting the feast at Emmaüs.
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  Elias with an angel.
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  Saint-François-de-Paule receives the scapula.
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  Angelots ornant une console du retable de l'ancienne chapelle des Minimes

On each side of the chapel's master altar and above the sacristy door are two bas-reliefs. That on the right represents Moses receiving the tablets whilst that on the left depicts the "serpent d'airain" and the camp of the Hebrews. Above the master altar are statues of Saint Stanislas Kostka and Saint Louis de Gonzague. These early 18th-century statues came to Kreisker from the Chapelle du séminaire. Saint Louis de Gonzague was canonised in 1726 and Saint Stanislas Kostka in 1725.[4]

In the square in front of the chapel there is a monumental granite vase dating to the 16th century. It came from Kerliviry.

View of the monumental granite vase in front of the south facade of the Kreisker chapel

The Kreisker chapel holds a plaster maquette of a 1919 war memorial ("monument aux morts") by the Breton sculptor René Quillivic.[5]