Clocher porche de Mimizan, Gothic bell tower in Mimizan, France
Clocher porche de Mimizan is a square tower of red brick with pale weathered render, rising to a steep grey slate roof topped by an octagonal brick lantern and a pointed spire. Its base has a wide pointed arch with a dark metal grille, and above are two small rectangular openings. A lower brick section adjoins the right side.
Excavations in 1992 dated the church of Sainte-Marie to between the first half of the 12th and the early 13th century; it later became a priory church, then the parish church of Mimizan. Judged dilapidated, it was demolished in 1898–1899 by the architect Cloüet, who spared only the porch tower. The tower was classified as a Monument historique on 1 March 1990 and inscribed by UNESCO in 2000 on the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.
The entrance portal displays medieval sculptures showing biblical scenes that remain visible in the architecture today. These depictions make this place a notable example of religious artwork typical of the region.
The porch tower stands on its own in Mimizan, separate from the 19th-century Notre-Dame du Bourg church that replaced the old parish church in 1891. The west, north and south faces open through tall brick arches, so the sculpted east portal and its painted arc are seen from inside the porch. The upper room is reached by a stair turret in the north-west corner.
The painted cycle above the portal covers 26 m² and dates from 1470–1490, showing scenes of Christ's Passion under a pointed arch. The tympanum below it has a crescent shape found nowhere else in France, carved with the Adoration of the Magi.
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