Saint-Maurice basilica (Epinal)
The Saint-Maurice Basilica is a Catholic parish church in Épinal in the French department of Vosges . The church belongs to the diocese of Saint-Dié .
Building history
The first church at the current location was built at the time the town was founded by Bishop Dietrich von Metz at the end of the 10th century. After the demolition of this previous building, construction of today's three-aisled Romanesque basilica began in the 11th century, consisting of a central nave, two side aisles and a transept as well as three semicircular apses . The pink sandstone of the Vosges was used for the construction . The church was consecrated by Pope Leo X. In the central nave, the previous Romanesque round arched vault was replaced by a pointed arched rib vault on the existing pillars.
The Gothic choir with the vault, which is 4.50 meters higher than the central nave, was built in the 14th century. The windows, also from the 14th century, show the Trinity . The main altar dates from the 19th century. The entrance to the choir is adorned with statues of Saints Goericus (16th century) and Mauritius (1928, by P. Mallet). Side altars were dedicated to St. Nicholas and the Mother of God .
A burial chapel was built in the south tower of the transept in the 16th century and set up in the 18th century as a burial place for the abbesses of the nearby noble dynasty of Épinal.
The massive brick, around 30 meter high west tower accommodates four bells. The west portal dates back to 1843. On the north side of the ship is the town gate, which was built by the townspeople in the 15th century in the Champagne style. The rich ornamental decorations were destroyed during the French Revolution .
The church has been a monument historique since 1846 and was founded on February 20, 1933 by Pope Pius XI. raised to the minor basilica .
West facade
Citizen portal
Vault of the central nave
Choir room and altar
literature
- ML Duhamel: L'Église de Saint-Maurice d'Épinal. Étude Archéologique. Caen 1867 ( digitized version )
- André Laurent: Basilique Saint-Maurice Epinal: son architecture, son histoire. 1959
- Martine Tronquart: Saint-Maurice d'Épinal, une église dans la ville. édition Gérard Louis, 1989 ( ISBN 2-907016-08-3 ).
- Martine Tronquart: Épinal basilique Saint-Maurice (= Itinéraires du patrimoine 117), éditions Serpenoise, 1996 ( ISBN 2-87692-293-2 )
Web links
Coordinates: 48 ° 10 ′ 27.1 ″ N , 6 ° 27 ′ 3 ″ E