2-333-301 - Peter Thompson/Heritage Images

Parish close, Guimiliau, Brittany, France. Parish closes such as this were built in Brittany from the 16th to the 18th century as a statement of the religious devotion of the Bretons. They feature a triumphal gateway marking the entrance onto hallowed ground, a calvary (a monument depicting the Passion of Christ) and an ossuary. Neighbouring villages vied with each other to produce the most spectacular and ornate parish close.