Saint-Epvre basilica

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Facade of the basilica
Choir view
Portal detail

The Saint-Epvre Basilica is a Roman Catholic church in Nancy , France . The church in the diocese of Nancy-Toul is dedicated to Saint Aper , Bishop of Toul , whose relics are kept in a shrine on the high altar, and bears the title of a basilica minor and a monument historique .

history

Duke Dietrich II of Lorraine founded the parish church in 1080. Between 1436 and 1451 the building was completely rebuilt in the Gothic style. Its bell tower also served as a watchtower as it was the highest point in the medieval city. The church was demolished in 1863, the bell tower that was to be integrated into the new church survived only a few years. The parish was entrusted to the Congregation by the Oratory of St. Philip Neri .

On December 15, 2013, a relic of Blessed Charles I of Habsburg-Lothringen was transferred to the basilica during a pontifical mass.

basilica

The current church was built according to plans by Prosper Morey in the neo-Gothic style, which enabled a very good integration into the historic center of Nancy. The foundation stone was laid in May 1864. Pastor Joseph Trouillet was very intensive in soliciting donations, including from Napoleon III. The church was consecrated in 1871.

On November 26, 1874, the church was given by Pope Pius IX. awarded the title of a minor basilica . In 1999, the church was added to the list of architectural monuments in France as a Monument historique . The combined effects of storm and pollution in December 1999 required extensive restoration work over several years.

architecture

The church was designed in the form of a three-aisled basilica on the plan of a Latin cross. The neo-Gothic basilica has significant dimensions: the tower above the entrance area rises to a height of 87 meters for a building 100 meters long. The nave is 84 meters long and has a vault height of 24 meters.

The monumental staircase in the forecourt is a gift from Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, heir to the houses of Austria and Lorraine. Likewise, most of the stained glass windows on which he and his wife were depicted through the features of Francis of Assisi and Saint Elizabeth. After being destroyed in the First World War, they were replaced by the figures of Saint Epvre and Saint Odile, symbolizing Lorraine and Alsace. Further stained glass windows were made by Napoleon III. and Empress Eugénie financed.

74 windows, 71 of which were created by the geyling workshops in Vienna, illuminate the basilica and, with three rose windows, have a stained glass area of ​​2300 m². The nave is decorated with paintings on reinforced canvas and imitation mosaics. The altars and woodwork are of French origin (Atelier Klein in Colmar), but especially from Germany (Margraff workshops in Munich). In the choir, Pius IX. 25 m² of green tiles from the Via Appia in Rome. Bells were cast for the church in Budapest.

Organs

Main organ

The organs of the old Saint-Epvre church were sold to the Dannelbourg church .

The large neo-Gothic organ on the gallery was built by Joseph Merklin (Merklin-Schütze) and inaugurated by Anton Bruckner . This organ was awarded a gold medal at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1867 , where it was played by most of the great Parisian organists. Joseph Merklin then received the title of Knight of the Legion of Honor .

The organ was restored in 1992 by the manufacturer Lorraine Hærpfer Grandes Orgues , a listed building. In this work, the additional wind tunnel (to reduce the lack of wind) was removed at the end of the 19th century, more precisely between 1877 and 1893 by Jean Blési.

The gallery organ of Saint-Epvre, together with the great Cavaillé-Coll organ of the cathedral, the Dalstein-Hærpfer of Saint-Sébastien and the Didier de Saint-Nicolas, is one of the great representatives of the Organ Symphony in Nancy.

I Positif intérieur C – g 3
1. Bourdon 16 ′
2. Principal 8th'
3. Pipe flute 8th'
4th Salicional 8th'
5. Viol 8th'
6th Prestant 4 ′
7th Flute harmonique 4 ′
8th. Clochette II 8th'
9. Trumpets 8th'
10. Clarinet 8th'
II Grand Orgue C-g 3
11. Principal 16 ′
12. Bourdon 16 ′
13. Montre 8th'
14th Bourdon 8th'
15th Flûte harmonique 8th'
16. Dulciana 8th'
17th Viol 8th'
18th Prestant 4 ′
19th Flute octaviante 4 ′
20th Flute of fifths 3 ′
21st Fittings V-VI
22nd Grand Cornet V
23. Bombard 16 ′
24. Trumpet 8th'
25th Clairon 4 ′
III Récit expressif C – g 3
26th Bourdon 8th'
27. Flûte harmonique 8th'
28. Viol 8th'
29 Voix céleste 8th'
30th Flûte octaviante 4 ′
31. Flageolet 2 ′
32. Basson 16 ′
33. Trumpets 8th'
34. Basson-Hautbois 8th'
35. Voix humaine 8th'
Pedale C – d 1
36. Soubasse 32 ′
37. Big flute 16 ′
38. Soubasse 16 ′
39. Octavebasse 8th'
40. Violoncello 8th'
41. Flute 4 ′
42. Bombard 16 ′
43. Trumpets 8th'
44. Clairon 4 ′
Choir organ

The choir organ was built by Joseph Merklin. This instrument was restored in 2009 by Jean-Baptiste Gaupillat and Laurent Plet.

I Grand Orgue C-g 3
1. Bourdon 16 '
2. Montre 8th'
3. Bourdon 8th'
4th Salicional 8th'
5. Prestant 4 '
6th Trumpets 8th'
II Récit expressif C – g 3
7th Viol 8th'
8th. Bourdon harmonique 8th'
9. Flûte harmonique 4 '
10. Basson hautbois 8th'
Pedale C – d 1
11. Soubasse (= No. 1) 16 '
  • Appel Trumpet 8 '
  • Coupling : II / I, I / II (sur la première octave), I / P

Web links

Commons : Saint-Epvre Basilica  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

literature

  • Père Eugène, Monographie de la basilique Saint-Epvre à Nancy , Tournai: Desclée, De Brouwer et Cie, 1890 - 2 vol., XV-192 p. + 72 pl. : ill. ; 54 cm.
  • René Hogard, La Basilique Saint-Epvre de Nancy , Nancy 1931.
  • Joseph Merklin, facteur d'orgues européen , Michel JURINE , Association Aristide Cavaille-Coll 1991.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Basilique Saint-Epvre on gcatholic.org
  2. ↑ Basilique Saint-Epvre in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  3. ^ Basilique Saint-Epvre
  4. ↑ Information on the organ and disposition
  5. ^ Choir organ of the Saint-Epvre basilica , restored by Gaupillat

Coordinates: 48 ° 41 ′ 45.5 ″  N , 6 ° 10 ′ 48 ″  E