Saint-Thégonnec

Saint-Thégonnec Sant-Tegoneg
Notre-Dame Church in parish close
Coat of arms
Saint-Thégonnec
Location within Brittany region  Saint-Thégonnec
Coordinates: 48°31′19″N 3°56′43″W / 48.5219°N 3.9453°WCoordinates: 48°31′19″N 3°56′43″W / 48.5219°N 3.9453°W
Country	France
Region	Brittany
Department	Finistère
Arrondissement	Morlaix
Canton	Saint-Thégonnec
Intercommunality	Morlaix
Government
• Mayor (2014–2020)	Solange Creignou
Area^1	41.76 km^2 (16.12 sq mi)
Population (2008)^2	2,630
• Density	63/km^2 (160/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	29266 / 29410
Elevation	7–216 m (23–709 ft)
^1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. ^2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Saint-Thégonnec (Breton: Sant-Tegoneg) is a former commune in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune Saint-Thégonnec Loc-Eguiner.^[1]

The village is noted for its very elaborate parish close, one of a number in the area, which include Guimiliau and Lampaul-Guimiliau.

Population

Inhabitants of Saint-Thégonnec are called Saint-Thégonnecois.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1793	3,291	—
1800	3,291	+0.0%
1806	3,422	+4.0%
1821	3,563	+4.1%
1831	3,648	+2.4%
1836	3,836	+5.2%
1841	3,926	+2.3%
1846	3,962	+0.9%
1851	3,802	−4.0%
1856	3,588	−5.6%
1861	3,957	+10.3%
1866	4,050	+2.4%
1872	3,681	−9.1%
1876	3,548	−3.6%
1881	3,409	−3.9%
1886	3,215	−5.7%
1891	3,317	+3.2%
1896	3,073	−7.4%
1901	3,144	+2.3%
1906	3,206	+2.0%
1911	3,171	−1.1%
1921	2,980	−6.0%
1926	2,977	−0.1%
1931	2,719	−8.7%
1936	2,536	−6.7%
1946	2,532	−0.2%
1954	2,241	−11.5%
1962	2,159	−3.7%
1968	2,127	−1.5%
1975	1,986	−6.6%
1982	2,133	+7.4%
1990	2,139	+0.3%
1999	2,267	+6.0%
2008	2,630	+16.0%

Breton language

The municipality launched a linguistic plan through Ya d'ar brezhoneg on 25 March 2005.

Parish close

A parish close is an enclosed area around the parish church, including the church yard and a number of other features.

In common with others in the area, the Saint-Thégonnec close features a large ceremonial entrance arch, stressing the importance of the close as a focus for pilgrimage and pardons. An impressive calvary or crucifix forms the focus of the church yard. As at nearby Lampaul-Guimiliau, there is a separate charnel house or ossuary, with a life-sized tableau of the Entombment of Christ.

The interior of the church is exemplary of the local version of Baroque style, with a large quantity of polychrome sculpture and decoration, including a spectacular pulpit.

See Saint-Thégonnec Parish close

See also

• Communes of the Finistère department
• Parc naturel régional d'Armorique
• Yann Larhantec Sculptor of Calvaries including one in Saint-Thégonnec
• List of the works of the Maître de Plougastel
• List of the works of the Maître de Thégonnec

References

• INSEE

1. Arrêté préfectoral 23 December 2015 (French)

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  The church and entrance to parish close.

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  Ceremonial entrance arch.

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  Detail of calvary.

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  The choir.

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  Retable of the Rosary.

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  Retable of the Holy Sacrament.

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  Detail from the Entombment in the ossuary: St John the Apostle and the Virgin Mary.

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  Folding triptych of the Madonna and Child in the parish church.

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  St Mark, from a set of Four Evangelists decorating the pulpit.

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  Relief of St Luke on the pulpit.

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  Polychrome decorative moulding from the pulpit.

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  St Pol, an important Breton saint: polychrome statue in the parish church.

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  Polychrome statue of St Christopher and the infant Christ in the parish church.

Twin city

• Silverton, Devon, England, since 2008.

External links

• French Ministry of Culture list for Saint-Thégonnec (French)