Notre-Dame-du-Port (Clermont-Ferrand)
The former pilgrimage and collegiate church of Notre-Dame-du-Port is located in the city of Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region ( Puy-de-Dôme ) in the valley basin of the Allier river , about 170 km west of Lyon . It is enclosed and sometimes even covered by the usual residential and commercial buildings in the old part of the city of Port (from Latin Portus, market, warehouse, trading post, harbor ), from which it got part of its name.
The Notre-Dame-du-Port church is one of the main churches in Basse-Auvergne or Limagne , as are the churches of Orcival , Saint-Nectaire , Issoire , Saint-Saturnin and Mozac , all of which are in the vicinity of Clermont-Ferrand . It is representative of the regional Auvergnatian building school of the Romanesque and the oldest of the surviving churches of this school, which are identical in every detail. The former Romanesque cathedral of Clermont-Ferrand would also be part of it as its mother church if it had not had to give way to a new Gothic building.
Since 1998 the church has been part of the World Heritage Site of St. James in France.
history
Antiquity and Migration Period
Before the Romans , the Gallic (or Celtic ) tribe of the Arverni settled in this region . In the area of what is now the old town of Clermont there was probably a Gallic settlement, or at least a sanctuary. In ancient times , up to the 1st century, the Gallic name Nemossos was in use.
Much better known is the old refuge of the Celtic tribe of the Arverni, later called Gergovia (French: Gergovie ), on a steep volcanic plateau mountain, only a few kilometers from today's city center . In 52 BC, Caesar besieged the Gauls entrenched there under their leader Vercingetorix with six legions , but suffered one of his greatest defeats.
After Caesar had defeated the Gauls under Vercingetorix in Alesia ( Burgundy ) that same year , the Romans also occupied the land of the averna civitas , and the now Gallo-Roman city was named Nemetum , later Augustonemetum (1st to 3rd century) and became one of the numerous well-developed centers in the Gallic province. On the Puy de Dôme , a Celtic sanctuary became a Roman Temple of Mercury .
From the 3rd to the 9th century the city was called Avernis , in memory of its Celtic ancestors. The urban upper class was extremely rich. Saint Martin left the city in disgust because he was received with too much pomp and expense. This happened in the 4th century when the entire region was Christian and the city became the seat of a diocese like most of the Roman cities.
At the time of the Great Migration (4th to 6th centuries) Visigoths , Franks , Saracens and Vikings repeatedly attacked the city and plundered it.
middle Ages
In the 5th century the bishop Namatius had a church built in the city, which he consecrated to the holy martyrs of Bologna , Vitalis and Agricola .
The first church at the later location of Notre-Dame-du-Port was built by St. Avius , bishop of the city of Avernis (later Clermont), between 571 and 574.
With the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Gallo-Roman upper class did not leave the city, as it often did. It remained the bearer of a Roman tradition until the High Middle Ages and was one of the most important and culturally high-quality centers in the Merovingian period and in the Frankish Empire . It is no coincidence that the respected writer and chronicler Gregor von Tours comes from the upper class of Arvernis .
For the first time in the 8th century the new name of the town Clairmont (spelling at that time) appears, officially introduced since 848.
The predecessor church of Notre-Dame du Port was apparently spared by the soldiers of Pippin who pillaged the city in 761, but not by the Norman incursions that struck Auvergne in 864. Clermont was completely destroyed during the last Norman incursions in 916 and 923. Bishop Signon had the old basilica restored and was buried there in 875.
For a long time the church was called the “Main Church of the Holy Virgin”. This name comes from the time when the main church of the city, the cathedral, as mater ecclesia of the whole diocese , was not yet consecrated to the Mother of God. When, towards the end of the 10th century, the cathedral was consecrated to the Virgin Mary by Stephan II , the old name was abandoned and the name du-port prevailed, after the name of the district in which the church was located.
Stephen II, Bishop of Auvergne from 937 to 972 (?), Abbot of Ste-Foy de Conques and Bishop of Clairmont at the same time , gathered the surviving inhabitants in order to build a completely new city with them. The urban structures that emerged at that time are still largely preserved today.
He had a cathedral built on the highest square in the city, the later model for all Romanesque churches in Auvergne. It is the predecessor of today's Gothic cathedral, which was built over its foundation walls, probably also its crypt . There are different opinions of historians about the exact date of the construction of this Romanesque church and its crypt. The year 946 (and 947) is generally accepted as the consecration date. Another dating of the consecration of the crypt around 946 and the upper church “somewhat before 1029” seems not unlikely.
Notre-Dame du Port was a collegiate church . The collegiate chapter , possibly founded by Bishop Stephan in the middle of the 10th century, existed until the revolution .
There are also different and sometimes uncertain assumptions about the construction dates of Notre-Dame du Port. According to a common interpretation of the sources, the construction of the church began in the first half of the 12th century. Its completion is said to have taken place around 1185, after collecting for the completion of the building. The Bishop of Clairmont had to enforce his request for generosity from his diocesans. The last to be completed was the narthex with the two towers that once towered over it.
Archaeological investigations from the first half of the 20th century have identified no fewer than six construction periods recognizable on the current structure. For example, the basilica built by St. Avius in the 6th century is said to still have the lower parts of the narthex. The choir and transept are said to date from the 11th century, and the central nave , built in the 10th century, is said to have been vaulted later.
However, more recent sources say that Notre-Dame du Port appears to have been built in a single short construction period. This view is evidenced by the “exceptional uniformity of the building” and the “profound conformity of the components to one another”, combined with a “perfect and extremely rare homogeneity ”.
The Romanesque cathedral of Clairmont was considered a first-rate building in the middle of the 10th century and was recognized far beyond the borders of the region. It might still exist today if Chapter 1248 had not decided to demolish it in order to build a new Gothic cathedral in keeping with the tastes of the time.
The rather late completion - towards the end of the 12th century - of Notre-Dame du Port as a typical pilgrimage church with ambulatory and chapels, barely let it benefit from the pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela in the first half of the 12th century. Pilgrimage movements declined significantly in the mid-12th century, beginning with the dispute between France and England over Aquitaine . The wars of the 13th and 14th centuries brought a dramatic slump in pilgrimages in the south-west of what is now France, which only revived in our times.
Clermont-Ferrand is located on a secondary route of the Way of St. James , roughly halfway between the main routes of Via Lemovicensis (starting in Vézelay ) and Via Podiensis (starting in Le Puy ).
The Hundred Years War and the Wars of Religion obviously left no significant mark on Notre-Dame-du-Port.
Instead, the Vierungsturm fell victim to the great earthquake of 1478 . It probably collapsed and could not be restored at the time due to a lack of funds. Perhaps that also applies to the two facade towers. However, they are not mentioned in the archives .
Modern times
The city of Clairmont was united with Montferrand in 1631 to form the city of Clermont-Ferrand.
In the 17th century, Notre-Dame du Port regained importance as a pilgrimage church. The Black Madonna venerated in this church , which was replaced by an enthroned Madonna long after the Romanesque era , can be seen in the Church of Notre-Dame de La Souterraine .
As a result of the revolution of 1789, the interior of the church and some sculptures in the south portal were partially destroyed. Presumably the monastery buildings were demolished during this time.
A print from the period from 1817 to 1824 shows the south side of the situation at that time. It can be seen that the octagonal crossing tower is missing, but the massive barlong with the crossing dome and the octagonal tower base has been preserved. Accordingly, only the two upper floors of the tower with their helmets collapsed as a result of the earthquake of 1478. This graphic shows the closed substructure of the south tower of the westwork , in a condition as it can be seen today.
From 1823 to 1825, a central tower made of dark andesite rock from Volvic was built above the narthex . The original building only knew the two western towers, similar to the Saint-Nectaire church .
In 1841, Notre-Dame du Port was listed as a historical monument . Aimon-Gilbert Mallay (1805-1883) directed its restoration a little later. The two transept chapels were probably also reconstructed during this time, following the example of the radial chapels. An old floor plan with the note “before the restoration” shows instead of the chapels a quarter-circle spiral staircase, from the crossing arm, pivoted by 90 degrees, into the first yoke of the gallery (or the crypt), and their quarter-circle housing.
Mallay owes the not very authentic crossing tower. He also had the probably dilapidated original hollow tile roofing replaced with dark roof tiles made of Volvic, as was done in other churches in the region. However, this has been reversed during restorations in recent years. The roofs are covered with red hollow tiles again.
In the middle of the 19th century Viollet-le-Duc drew a section through the nave, in which the central nave protrudes a little over the roofs of the aisles. It is not known whether this is a representation of the substance or a suggestion for restoration. In any case, the prints from the beginning of the 19th century do not show this offset.
The stripping of the surfaces of the interior that began in the 1920s was interrupted by the First World War, but was completed shortly afterwards.
In 1974 the restoration of the west facade was completed, restoring the stumps of the two original towers. On this occasion, the blind arcades discovered in 1930 in the middle field above the narthex under plaster were exposed and secured. The pillars that were inserted in the process are certainly not part of the original inventory. The gable above was also rebuilt. Its decoration was based on the incrustations of the gable of the southern arm of the transept.
Since you cannot see the choir head and the “Auvergnatian pyramid” in their entirety from the surrounding level, a viewing balcony called “Belvedère” has been made accessible to the public in a house opposite, extending the central axis of the choir, approximately at the height of the choir apse window. From there you can enjoy a fantastic overview of the entire ensemble.
From August 2006 to the end of 2008, the interior of the church was thoroughly restored and painted in light yellow tones. According to a French source, the interior of the church is said to have looked like this around 1900.
Building
Dimensions inside (approx):
- Total length 45.00 m
- Longhouse width 13.50 m
- Central nave width 6.00 m
- Transept length 25.00 m
- Transept width 6.10 m
- Central nave height 18.00 m
- Aisle height 9.00 m
- Dome height 22.00 m
Dimensions outside (approx):
- Total length without chapels: 50.00 m
- Longhouse width: 15.50 m
- Transept length: 33.20 m
- Transept width: 7.70 m
Like the other main churches of the Lower Auvergne, Notre-Dame du Port has a regular and complex floor plan and, like them, a rare, almost unique homogeneity and continuity. Apart from small remains of an older building in the narthex, no further development of the architectural style can be seen in the building, even if the main churches are compared with one another. This creates the impression that the plans of a single master builder have been followed for all these churches.
If you compare it with the church of Saint-Julien in Brioude , the construction of which proceeded relatively slowly, you can see many subsequent repairs and changes there. Its central nave and the choir seem to belong to a completely different Romanesque style.
All of this speaks for a quick and short construction of Notre-Dame du Port. Last but not least, this has to do with the construction methods used. One can see how with the other main churches, material-saving methods such as reduced thickness of the walls and pillars or the vast use of non- or geringbearbeitetem Bruchstein place exclusively stone . The execution of the barrel vault in the central nave without belt arches , combined with the largely saved services , are among the time-saving designs, as is the production of the arcade arches , which are completely integrated into the wall and vault, with just a single arch structure.
Less material and less processing of the same meant savings in transport and working time for the stonemasons as well as simplification in the construction and handling of the arched scaffolding. The construction sites of the main churches in Limagne have progressed faster than others. The founder Stephanus, who is also depicted on capitals, saw the churches that he had built or equipped in a finished state during his lifetime.
inside rooms
Narthex
In the Auvergne, the narthex is part of the inner structure and extends over just a yoke, with an upper floor designed as a gallery , over the entire width of the nave . The sturdy pillars, their low groin vaults on the ground floor and the twilight that prevails there create a mighty and powerful impression, like the vestibule of another world. The cross-sections of the pillars supporting the gallery are interesting. They have an elongated rectangle in the floor plan, which is flanked by staggered services in the east and west. The middle groin vault merges seamlessly into the semicircular arch to the nave, similar to that of the side aisles. This stands on semicircular services, which are equipped with carved capitals and profiled fighters. The openings to the aisles correspond to those between the aisle yokes.
The gallery is accessed via the spiral staircase that leads up inside the walls of the westwork . The walls of the narthex are thicker than those of the nave because they were designed to support the towers. The gallery opens wide onto the central nave. A triple opening with two columns and carved capitals is installed at the height of the central nave arcades. Above this, a large triumphal arch is cut out across the entire width of the triple opening, which is covered with a round arch. Above, just below the top of the vault, there is a small double opening, which is separated by a small column with a capital. Double openings with columns and capitals point to the aisles.
Longhouse
The five- bay nave has a pseudo-basilical elevation of three naves with no direct windows in the upper aisle. The central nave is twice as high as the side aisles. It is vaulted with a smooth round barrel that is supported by the walls of the central nave. The walls flow into the barrel vault without a horizontal closure.
The load of the stone vault not only generates vertical forces that are diverted from the central nave walls via the pillars into the foundations, but also, in particular, outwardly acting shear forces that are absorbed by the semitone vaults of the grandstand floors above the aisles and into the aisles via the outer walls of the aisles Foundations are derived. The apex of the half-barrel vaults start about halfway up the round barrel, where the shear forces are strongest. This construction forms a kind of continuous buttress, as we know it from the later Gothic. The actual side aisles on the ground floor, which were intended for the typical processions of the time, are covered by a mezzanine floor, purely functional, with transverse walls between the yokes to reinforce the semi-barrel vaults, the essential components of the construction system. The galleries are hardly accessible and not intended for liturgical use.
Central nave
With great reliance on the construction system they developed as described above, the builders have minimized the strength of structural members such as walls and pillars. The wall thickness is only 85 cm here, as is the side length of the square pillar cross-sections. The continuous abutment of the round barrel through the half-barrel made belt arches and their semicircular services on the sides of the nave superfluous. There is, however, an exception between yokes 2 and 3. Here two half-columns face each other, but they do not carry any loads, such as those of a belt arch. They rise up to the height of the parapet of the gallery openings and are crowned there by carved capitals. It is believed that they once carried a wooden beam from which a wheel chandelier was hung.
The elevation of the central nave extends over two floors. The apex of the arcade arches on the ground floor reach about half the height of the nave. Above this, a narrow parapet separates the triple openings of the gallery, on the south side with cloverleaf-shaped arches and two slender columns and sculpted capitals. On the north wall there are round arches. The walls of the central nave stand on arched arcades and square pillars with semicircular services. The capitals are at the same level as those of the side aisles, slightly below the arches (stilts).
The interior of the church is characterized by a clear structure and by the simplicity and economy of decor and internal structure of the walls. This effectively underlines the monumental character of the interior. This strict architecture, which in no way seems cumbersome, exudes elegance and harmony. This impression is reinforced above all by the slender pillars and the proportions of the narrow and high arcades. Here new ideas and impulses of the French Gothic seem to be heralded, with the ridge of its cathedrals, the dissolution of the massive walls and the illumination of the interior.
The central nave has no windows that directly illuminate it. It is lit only indirectly through the large windows in the side aisles and the tiny windows in the galleries.
Aisles
The two aisles are designed much more complex. Here you can again find a clear structure in yokes, which has been bypassed almost completely in the central nave. Opposite the pillars of the arcades are equally wide but flat wall pillars. Semicircular, angular belt arches the width of the pillars stand on semicircular services with carved capitals. Each yoke has its own groin vault. On the side facing the central nave, a piece of barrel vault was created that merges into the inner surface of the arcade arch.
The side aisle bays are each illuminated by a large, arched window with beveled smooth walls , on the south side they are flooded with natural light, extending far into the whole nave. In the fourth yoke of the south aisle there is no window, the rectangular door of an entrance to the former cloister is built into it. This much more convenient access, without the high staircase in front of the main portal, makes this access the much more frequently used one. In the first yoke, a further rectangular door was subsequently broken through in the Gothic era, which is decorated with Gothic style elements on the outside. However, the parapet of the window preserved there had to be raised a little.
Transept and crossing
The builders of the lower Auvergne remained true to the otherwise generally abandoned motif of the old Carolingian candle arches over the crossing. They recognized the aesthetic design potential that slumbered in these huge wall arches. The dome with the crossing tower rests on them.
The buttress arches of the crossing are large single arcades in the width of the central nave, at the height of the significantly lower choir vault. Above that, the crossing walls reach up to under the vaulted extensions of the dome. In these walls there are triple openings with two pillars and capitals each, and two arched windows on the east side. The crossing is illuminated through these openings and windows. The four pillars of the crossing have the same square cross-section as those of the central nave. They are dressed on all sides by semicircular services, which are crowned with carved capitals and profiled, wide-spreading fighters. The arches standing on it are stilted, that is, their lowest two meters are initially perpendicular to the actual arch base.
The type of trumpet under the dome is remarkable . They usually serve to convert the crossing square into the shape of an octagon, on which the dome then rests. Trumpets consist of small round arches that frame a niche that is as uniform as possible. Here a flat console stone occupies the lower part. This could be an abutment of formwork girders when the dome was built. Perhaps it is also a clever solution to bridge the delicate transition between the niches and the crossing corners. At the top of the dome there is a circular opening for the transport of the bells.
The two room sections on the north and south side of the crossing as an extension of the side aisles extend across the width of the crossing up to the height of the dome apex and are covered by half barrel vaults, the apex of which lean against the crossing. From below you can see a kind of huge housing floating above the empty space. At the height of the trumpets alone there are four large round-arched windows on the north and south sides of the crossing. The light cascades through this housing through the triple openings into the crossing, which then shines brightly. The abundance of light is supplemented by eight large windows each in the arms of the transept and the two windows in the east wall of the crossing.
From the outside, the two “light housings” described above grasp the octagonal stump of the tower at the height of the dome like pliers. The whole thing looks like a rectangular substructure transversely under the tower, the so-called massif barlong , a peculiar component that only exists in the Auvergnatian building school.
Similar to the central nave, the extremely simple transept arms protrude laterally over the nave and are covered by a barrel vault in the transverse direction to the central nave. As an extension of the aisle outer walls, the outer walls of the massif barlong protrude . These stand on large individual arcades, corresponding in width and height to the opposite candle arches of the crossing. The arcade arch can be seen on flat pillars the width of the wall above, which has a profiled transom profile at the height of the arch, a detail that seems somewhat archaic here. The gable wall of the transept arm is surrounded by a large blind arcade, in the front view exactly corresponding to the opposite arcade described above. Within this large arcade, three large, arched windows with sloping walls are cut out in the upper area. Below is a group of three arcades, which rest on slender columns with carved capitals. Round-arched windows are left open in the outer arcades, a little larger than the upper ones. Your fabric edges have a setback. The middle one is a blind arcade. It is covered with a triangular gable arch, again an archaic decor.
In the east walls of the transept arms, a semicircular chapel apse with domed vault has been accommodated, probably a reconstruction from the early 19th century. Its opening to the arm of the transept is flanked by slender columns in recesses in the wall with carved capitals and profiled fighters and bases. In each of the apse walls there are three small, arched windows. They are covered by arcade arches, which are supported by slender columns, with the usual equipment. They stand on a pedestal that goes around the entire apse. The east walls of the transept arms are each equipped with two windows, in the shape, size and height of the upper windows on the gable walls.
For the transept, the harmonious gradation of the openings should be pointed out, starting from the chapel openings via the slightly higher passages in the ambulatory, up to the high triumphal arch of the choir room.
Just before the triumphal arch to the choir and the passages in the ambulatory, a generous six-step staircase leads up to the choir and ambulatory. In this zone, two narrow stairs lead in opposite directions down to the crypt.
Common choir
Here, too, the choir is the masterpiece of the Auvergnatian builder. Its whole architecture aims to draw the attention of the faithful to the altar, as the sacred place, as the most holy place. This is not least due to the size and complexity of the entire complex, including the walkway and chapel wreath, and its particularly splendid decoration, significantly more abundant than in the central nave, as well as the large number of windows. The figure and leaf capitals, carved with the utmost care, are particularly evident because their architectural surroundings are simply restrained. The seven arcades of the choir apse are cut into the semicircular walls with sharp edges. They show carefully considered slight differences in their spacing. The middle one is slightly wider than its neighbors, the outer ones are the widest. The arcades of the choir are heavily stilted, which means that their arches only begin a long way above their supports, the fighter plates. As with the central nave arcades, the arcade arches are also the front arches of the ridge vaults behind them.
Above the arcades of the choir apse, which are lined up in a semicircle, rests a low strip of the smooth apse wall, which ends at the top with a recess in the wall. Behind it are the connections to the gallery vaults and their roofing. Above it stands a semicircular row of five arched windows with sloping walls, alternating with four pillars curved in plan, the inner sides of which form the above-mentioned recess. The window openings are on the inside about as wide as the middle choir gallery. The middle window is in the center of the choir, the outer windows are arranged above the outer gallery arches, the two remaining windows are counted from the outside exactly in the middle between the outer windows and the middle one, or centered over the two third pillars. In front of the pillars between the windows are slender columns, slightly indented from the corners of the robes, equipped with carved capitals and profiled fighters. The arcade arches of the windows, which merge into the arches of the walls, rest on them. Small blind arcades are inserted between these arcades, flush with the surface and flush with the wall. Above this series of larger and smaller arches, the semicircular wall surface of the choir apse merges seamlessly into its semicircular dome. The choir bay, between the triumphal arch and the apse dome, is vaulted with a heavily raised round barrel, which is slightly higher and wider than the apse vault.
The ambulance of the choir in the form of half a ring is covered with a cleverly elaborate ridge vault, which is supported by the arcades of the choir apse and the outer walls of the ambulatory, the latter supported from there in front of the walls free-standing columns with carved capitals and profiled fighters and Bases equipped and stand on parapet-high plinths. Slightly curved ridges were created in the individual trapezoidal vault segments. In the case of the striker plates, it was not neglected to shape them to match the curvature of the passage. The three large windows of the rounded hallway are flanked by slender columns in the back of the wall. They are equipped like the other pillars and stand on high plinths. The two windows in the first choir bay, at the entrance to the gallery, are flanked on both sides with twin columns, equipped like the other columns, but with common strut plates and standing on high plinths.
The four wreath chapels each consist of a semicircular apse with a corresponding dome. In the apse walls there are three round arched windows. They are connected to one another by an arcature with slender pillars standing on a protruding wall around the apse, with the familiar full equipment.
crypt
The crypt extends partly underground under the upper choir as the nave and transept, and is sparsely supplied with daylight through small windows. The stairs from the transept were modified in the 19th century. The floor plan corresponds almost to that of the ambulatory choir with its chapels. Short, mighty columns correspond in their position to those in the choir above. Instead of capitals, they are crowned with simple beveled cover plates. In the center of the choir, four slimmer pillars are set up in a square to support the large floor of the choir and the heavy altar. The ridges of the vaults meet on the top plates of the columns. A functional construction of great simplicity. On the west side, under the steps leading up to the choir, a three-fold deep, rectangular niche opens up, the so-called Martyrion .
Here the relics belonging to the church were kept locked behind bars. There used to be openings in the steps above through which the lights placed for the relics could be seen. In this crypt there is a dug well in the axis in front of the altar.
Outward appearance
Facade / westwork
Like the other main churches of the lower Auvergne, Notre-Dame du Port does not have a facade that really deserves this name. Only this church had a relatively rich, but late decoration in the window area. The two facade towers that were originally intended to exist today only exist up to a height just above the ridge of the nave, probably a recent reconstruction. These tower stumps do not have any architectural structures, such as larger openings or arcades. Its smooth masonry essentially consists of unprocessed rubble stones in a wild association. Only the tower edges are made of large stones.
The bell tower built at the beginning of the 19th century over the middle of the narthex, with facings made of dark stone from Volvic, has nothing to do with the original substance. The now reconstructed tower stumps are the remains of two bell towers similar to those at Saint-Nectaire .
Between the two facade towers a triple arcature has been preserved, with a central round-arched window and two narrower blind arcades flanking it.
Above it is a triangular gable field, the design of which is based on the gable field of the southern arm of the transept. It is crowned by a cross that resembles the Templar's paw cross .
The single-storey vestibule that exists today, with a pointed vault, in front of the narthex of the original substance, is much more recent. It covers a multi-step staircase that leads down from the high level in front of the facade to the main entrance to the church.
Longhouse
The south side of the nave is very elaborately structured and carefully executed. Five large blind arcades take up the yoke structure of the ships. The arcade niches are very deep. Below the stilted arches, the wall pillars are a little deeper and function as buttresses . In the upper area of the arcade niches, with the exception of the 4th yoke, large, arched window openings are left open. Their arch stones are covered with a geometrically ornamented cantilever profile with the so-called roller frieze , semicircular, which swings horizontally outwards at the height of the arches and is guided against the wall pillars.
The south portals are covered in a later section.
Both portals on the south side of the church were entrances from the cloister of the former monastery, which is said to have existed from the 10th century until the revolution. On the buttress between the 1st and 2nd yoke, next to the Gothic portal, a relic of the former Gothic cloister vault is still preserved. It is the support of several vault ribs on this wall pillar. If you take a closer look at the arcade niches of the 1st and 2nd yoke, you can still see the contours of the pointed arched vaults that were formerly adjoining there. However, at that time these vaults covered large parts of the windows.
Just below the eaves, elegant groups of three arcatures are set into the wall in the gallery in each yoke. The three arcade arches made of arch stones rest on slender pillars with carved capitals, profiled fighters and bases. Only in the central arcades are very small, arched windows left open, which dimly illuminate the galleries. The wall pieces between the triple arcades are alternately wider and narrower. The arch stones are covered by the same cantilever profile as in the large windows, which runs horizontally over the wall pieces at the height of the transom panels. This profile will still be visible on all exterior wall surfaces.
On the north wall, which is barely visible, the great effort of the large and small arcatures was omitted. However, one could not do without the buttresses between the yokes.
A single large gable roof covers the three nave naves and rests on the vaulted caps without an actual roof structure. The roofing with dark stone slabs from Volvic, used in the 19th century, was covered with the original red hollow bricks in Roman form (also called monk-nun bricks) during the most recent exterior restorations. The eaves overhang of the roof are wide. The Traufsparren rest on a cornice of horizontal stone slabs, which by no less sweeping Hobelspan- corbels is supported. The originally free dripping of rainwater on the eaves was dispensed with and instead “modern” rain gutters with downpipes made of sheet copper were installed. The ridge is crowned by a stone roof ridge , a reconstruction in its original form. One can take a closer look at the shape of these roof ridges on the lower roofs of the choir and its chapels.
Transept and crossing tower
The sections of space in extensions of the side aisles that extend up to the height of the crossing dome on the north and south sides of the transept, in the length of the width of the transept arms, take the external octagonal dome above the roofs of the aisles “in the pincer”. The outer surfaces of its east and west walls merge flush with the east and west facing sides of the octagonal ground plan of the dome and the tower.
This structure is called massif barlong , which, together with the crossing dome, supports and supports the soaring bell tower. It can be found in all the main churches of the Basse Auvergne . In order to take the weight off this massive substructure, its walls and the windows located in them, also on the east side and across the crossing, were fitted with arcatures running through some of the arcades, some of which contain windows. Their arches are supported by pillars similar to those on the south wall of the nave. On the western side there is only one twin blind arcade above the side aisles. The middle part is covered by the upper part of the gable roof. The arcatures of the massif barlong are accompanied above their arch stones and below by cantilever profiles with the cantilevered cornice with roller frieze, like those in the nave windows, and horizontally connected to each other and led around the entire structure. On the east and west side above the arcades on both sides near the tower there is a round arched wall niche with a semicircular floor plan. The parts of the massif barlong that extend north and south of the tower are covered on the top with flat, outwardly sloping pent roofs, which are covered with tiles from the nave roof. The eaves formation is similar to that of the nave, but does not protrude as far. The rainwater drips off freely here, onto the roofs below.
The transept arms have the same eaves, eaves heights, roof coverings and roof ridges as those of the nave roof. The corners of the transept arms are set back slightly on both sides of the wall and reinforced by strong, rectangular buttresses over the entire height of the wall. The triangular gable field stands just behind the front edge of the buttresses. on a cantilever ledge that is supported by wood-chip corbels. Its sloping tops rise slightly more steeply than the roof covering behind and is covered by flat stone slabs. The gable field is covered by so-called incrustations , which are stone mosaics made up of mostly white and black stone slabs, put together to form various geometric patterns. Their origins are by no means oriental, but Gallo-Roman or early Christian. The gable field is also structurally structured with a truss-like “framework” made of horizontal, vertical and inclined “beams” made of cantilever profiles with roller friezes. This roll frieze can also be found on the cantilever cornice and under the gable wall cover plates.
The large high wall area between the buttresses is divided horizontally about halfway up with a narrow cantilevered cornice that lies on a double supporting arcade, the surface of which is just behind that of the buttresses. The arch stones of the two arcades merge laterally into the buttresses and stand together in the middle on a sturdy three-quarter-round column, in front of a flat wall pillar, equipped with a figuratively carved capital, with a widely projecting fighter plate. The two larger windows are recessed in the center of the arcade niches, so high that the lateral distance between the soffit edge and the buttress remains the same between the window arch and the arcade arch. In the wall niche above there are three somewhat smaller windows on the above-mentioned cantilevered cornice. Your arch stones are covered on the outside by the well-known cantilever profile with roller frieze.
The crossing bell tower no longer corresponds to the Romanesque original, the two upper floors of which had collapsed completely in the great earthquake of 1478. For a long time it could not be restored due to lack of financial means. A new crossing tower was only built around 350 years later, between 1823 and 1825. Although Saint-Saturnin was close to where the original tower is preserved and one could have looked there, one can only tick off the work as failed.
Choir head
The surely most beautiful part of the church is its choir head, viewed from the inside and outside, apart from the overview that is almost always restricted by the old town. Here, as in the other main churches of the lower Auvergne, fundamentally different components, such as chapels, gallery, choir with its apse, transept, massive barlong and the (former) bell tower, have been piled on top of each other with perfect mastery. In carefully thought-out gradations, the viewer's gaze wanders from the broad base of the wreath of small apses over the constantly tapering components up to the top of the tower. The appropriate term “ Auvergnatian pyramid ” was coined for this.
The ashlar masonry of the choir head - made of (again) light arkose - shines today, after the recent restoration, in bright, clear colors in different shades. It's not as “colorful” as the church in Issoire , but it's still quite lively. The color of the arch stones in the windows changes frequently, as does the incrustations.
All roofs are covered with red hollow tiles in a Roman shape with a flat pitch, a reconstruction of the original roofing that was carried out during restorations in recent years. For the conical roofs of the apses, the clay tiles were produced in different widths and tapered to obtain a clean laying pattern. The rainwater drips off freely on all eaves.
All the outer walls of the chapels and the ambulatory, between the chapels, stand on a wide, overhanging plinth that surrounds all of these components and is a good meter high and is covered with flat, sloping panels. In the case of the chapels and the walkway, this marks the height of the inner floor above the crypt. In the base between the chapels there are small windows that illuminate the crypt.
This continuous plinth does not exist on a drawing of the courtyard chapels of Viollet-le-Duc from around the middle of the 19th century. There the pillars stand on individual wall pillars, at the height of today's plinths. The walls of the chapels and the gallery reach down to the surrounding level. The crypt is also illuminated there through small windows in the chapels.
The four chapel apses have outer walls in the form of high stretched half cylinders that are flanged to the ambulatory. Their eaves height is slightly lower than that of the ambulatory. The walls of the two apses, near the central axis, are vertically divided by two three-quarter-round columns into three wall sections. The columns are crowned by elaborately figured and plant-based carved capitals, without transom ends. The capitals directly support the sturdy eaves cornice made of horizontally lying stone slabs, the slightly bevelled ends of which are adorned with a three-dimensional small chessboard pattern. They protrude much less than those of the long house. Their undersides are smooth. In the outer chapels, instead of columns, there are right-angled wall pillars with a steep slope on the top. They do not support the eaves and end under the top cantilever profile with a roller frieze. Right-angled wall pillars stand in all corners of the chapel connections to the gallery. The cornice panels are supported by wood-chip corbels between the columns, and exclusively by these in the outer chapels. The walls under the corbels are closed off by a cantilever profile with a roller frieze.
The windows of the chapels and the gallery are of different sizes. The smallest are in the inner chapels, slightly larger are those in the outer chapels, and those in the walls of the gallery are significantly larger. The arch stones of the windows are covered by the well-known cantilever profile with roller frieze, which bend horizontally at the arches and are led around the chapels over the pillars. Above this, the wall surfaces are decorated with incrustations of various structures up to just above the arch overlaps, as are the surfaces between the corbels of the eaves cornices.
The roofs of the chapels have the shape of a gently sloping half-cone. To avoid complicated penetrations of these roofs with the roof of the gallery, the outer walls of the chapels are bricked up higher and are closed on the top with triangular gables, the roofs of which are slightly capped. Their tops are covered with smooth stone slabs, the visible edges of which are decorated with a scroll frieze. The roof coverings of the chapels abut against these gables. Small gable roofs are arranged behind the gables, the roofs of which push radially against the rising walls of the choir apse and are crowned with stone roof ridges, like the one on the nave roof. The gable fields are adorned with incrustations, made of black and light gray mosaic tiles in diamond format. Your gable ridge is crowned with a broad paw cross (?), Which has a ring in the center, in which a small paw cross is housed. The broad arms of the cross are each decorated with a fruit that resembles a pine cone from which two leaf tendrils grow. On the chapel roof ridges there are square frames, arranged radially and filled with various stone wattle. They are reminiscent of Merovingian or Carolingian wickerwork.
The floor plan of the transept chapels has the same dimensions and equipment as the inner courtyard chapels. Only their height remains significantly below that of the other chapels. The transept chapels are a reconstruction from the first half of the 19th century (see history).
The monopitch roof over the ambulatory begins with a rectangular floor plan. It continues around the choir apse in the same width. The four chapels interrupt the course of the eaves with the above-described, further raised pieces of the wall, with the gable tops. Between these gables and the choir apse wall, small gable roofs, with a trapezoidal plan, in a radial arrangement, interrupt the pent roof of the gallery. The eaves sections of the gallery are designed like those of the chapels, but the front sides of the eaves cornice are without decoration.
The roof of the choir consists of a rectangle above the choir bay and a semicircle above the apse. The roof shape is accordingly composed of a gable roof and half a conical roof, the eaves of which are slightly lower. Both roof parts are separated by a wall protruding from the roof surface, which rises a little steeper towards the middle than the pitch of the conical roof. Its surface is decorated with incrustations. As a continuation of this wall, strong pillars protrude from the side walls of the choir. As with the gables behind the chapels, the top of this wall is capped and bears the same paw cross as that of the chapels. The eaves are designed as in the chapels, but with a significantly larger projection. The offset of the eaves is repeated in the eaves. The ridge of the gable roof is again crowned by a stone roof ridge.
The structure of the choir apse is divided into two horizontal sections, separated by a cantilever profile with the well-known roller frieze. In the lower section, four round-arched windows dominate, the arch stones of which are covered by simple cantilever profiles that bend horizontally at the height of the arches. Between these profiles and the windows there remain strange rectangular niches, which are divided by three columns with capitals that directly support the cantilevered cornice. This motif is borrowed from Roman antiquity. Outside the main churches, the motif can only be found once more at the not far away, round cemetery chapel of Chambon-sur-Lac .
The upper section of the choir apse wall, which is also known as the “architrave”, between the upper cantilever profile and the eaves cornice panels is completely covered with incrustations of black and white mosaic panels. These consist of two rows of circular disks filled with rosettes.
On the walls of the choir bay, which extend beyond the roof, two twin blind arcades are incorporated, similar to those of the side walls of the nave, in the area of the mezzanine, but here without any windows.
Detail, gable above chapel
Detail, gable above chapel
Detail, paw cross
Detail, wattle in the frame
Detail, incrustations on the choir apse
Detail, roof ridge
Detail, gable over chapel, roof ridge
Detail, gable above chapel, stone slab instead of ridge
Sculpture of the capitals
Most of the capitals inside and outside the building are foliage capitals, most of which are evidence of masterly craftsmanship. Particularly worth seeing are the four capitals in the choir apse and some in the central nave, which are decorated with plant sculptures. The leaf capitals, which were very popular in the Romanesque era, are not described in detail here.
With the exception of those on the outside of the chapel absiden, the capitals of Notre-Dame du Port are covered by strong, wide-spreading, mostly right-angled transom plates, the visible edges of which are profiled in multiple steps. Together they lead over from the lower round or partially round shafts to the right-angled components rising above, such as the belt arches.
Capitals of the choir apse
The four capitals signed by Master Rotbertus deserve our special attention, with their numerous pictorial themes, characteristic of the Auvergne. The canons of that time were of the same opinion and had inscriptions added to explain the individual scenes. There are sixteen in total, and not all of them are legible. Some words have remained a mystery to this day, due to complicated letter ligatures or monograms . The capitals have been examined repeatedly by Du Ranquet , later by Bréhier and finally by Dom Witters and Zygmunt Schwiechowski since 1892 . The abundance of interpretations by the aforementioned experts has not yet been evaluated.
Three basic iconographic themes can be identified. The first is: The Book of Life , with the struggle of virtues and vices , the Assumption of Mary and others. This topic is closely related to the topic: The angels , the messengers of the Lord, executors of his judgments and guardians of Paradise. But the main theme is Mary as The New Eve.
The name of the sculptor Rotbertus was deciphered by Louis Bréhier . He read R (O) TB (ER) TUS ME FECIT : Rotbertus created me one of the few artist's signatures of medieval sculpture. Master's style was extremely personal and lively. His somewhat sober realism , his good powers of observation and his sculptural conscientiousness are characteristic of the Auvergne artists. He spared no effort, for example with the design of the hair, beards or door hinges, and knew how to depict the most confusing scenes in clarity. He stuck to the old traditions of the province, such as the squat Gallo-Roman figures, or the emphasis on the heads by their size, as well as the placement of the figures at the corners or in the middle of the capitals. Rotbertus understood his craft: he created beautiful hands and had a keen sense for gestures.
Corresponding to the height of the capitals of around 80 cm, the sculptures are also of these dimensions, but still have a monumental effect. A characteristic of these capitals is a lively, scenic structure. The gestures of the characters play a decisive role, while the faces are relatively expressionless and schematic. In addition to the wealth of gestures, it is characteristic to completely fill the available area with as many individual scenes as possible. The themes of the capitals are subject to a theological program. This is also underlined by the inscriptions. And this program differs from the usual topics that are often presented in such places. The popular scenes of the Passion or the “popular” evil-looking demons are completely absent.
For the location of the capitals A, B, C and D and the capital pages 1 to 16, see sketch of the choir capitals. The remaining four capitals are carved with particularly artistic vegetal decoration.
- Capital A: The donor's capital
Page 1 of the capital: Here a certain Stefan is shown holding a capital decorated with foliage towards an angel in his raised right hand. In his right hand the angel holds a book in which one can read: IN (H) ONORE (M) S (ANC) T (AE) MARIA (E) STEFANUS ME FIERI IUSSIT : Stefan had me erected in honor of the Blessed Virgin . The next page on the right does not show a fight, but two triumphant allegorical figures, charity and generosity. This can be seen either from a narrow band of writing that runs over the heads of these knights, or from the writing on the shields.
Ranquets assumption that it is Stephan of Polignac , the Bishop of Clermont (1053-1077), contradicts his secular clothes. The scope of the Foundation of the Unknown includes at least the capitals of the choir, but probably significantly more.
An angel with a nimbus holds the holy book of life and lets Stefan touch it by guiding his arm. Two other hands reach for the book in vain. They belong to a naked man who embodies vice , and who was thrown to the ground by LARGITAS - here Stefan - the symbol of generosity . The body of the vice lies partly under the shape of the founder. Rotbertus was inspired to the subject of this scene by the Psychomachia , of Prudentius , which was a "bestseller" at this time. He took his inspiration freely from this book.
Kapitellseiten 2 and 3: Shown are on page 2 of the CARITAS ET Avaritia, the charity and the price . Virtue and vice clash here, shield against shield, face against face. Virtue, to the left of the center, is dressed in a helmet and a mail shirt over the long robe, and holds the sword up to strike. Avarice is depicted as an almost naked man, with disheveled hair, a long chin and mustache and an apron made of animal fur around the hips. He uses a two-headed dragon snake, a symbol of the devil, as an attack weapon. At his feet is the handle pot , an attribute of the avaricious in the iconography of the Auvergne, in which he hides his treasures. The lower part of a sign reads: ABSCON (DIT) T (H) ESAURO . This reading by Dom Witters seems to be confirmed. But there are other interpretations.
At the top left in the middle distance is a helmeted head with a face mask and a shield on which a text can be read: DEMON CONTRA VIRTU (T) ES PUGNANT : The devil fights against virtue. The figure stands on the edge of the capital so that its wings can only be seen on page 3 of the capital. She points with one hand at a man who has fallen to the ground, with the other she tries to hold back a figure, the anger. The enigmatic figure with a helmet is interpreted on the one hand as patience , but is apparently the masked devil leading into battle, which is proven by various circumstances. The figure of anger alone takes up the entire capital page 3. He had fought with patience, breaking his lance on her armor in the process. Prudentius reports: "He picks up the tip, gripped with anger, and pierces his chest . " Like avarice, a snake kites wraps around his arm. The battle started on page 2 is on page 3 in the middle of the plot. One reads: IRA SE OCCIDIT : Anger kills itself.
Chapter 4: The battle is over here. LARGITAS et CARITAS , generosity and charity , clad in helmets and chain mail over their robes, trample the vices they have defeated and thrust their crossed lances, on which small flags are attached, into the shoulders of their opponents. The damned vices in disgraceful nakedness are actually tools of the devil and therefore do not accept their defeat, which can be recognized by their wide-open eyes and sticking out tongues.
- Chapter B: The Obedience of Mary
The capital but one is dedicated to the Virgin Mary , to whom the church is consecrated or in whose honor it was embellished - at least thanks to the Stefans Foundation.
Chapter pages 5 and 6: With the scenes Annunciation (page 5) and Visitation (page 6) it is doubted whether they come from Rotbertus. The narrow figures and the soft modeling of the visitation do not show the energetic and skillful hand of the master. The Annunciation (page 5) shows the incident from the New Testament in which Mary was proclaimed the birth of her Son Jesus Christ by the Archangel Gabriel and she gave her consent. Both people stand and wear nimbs , Maria in the center and the angel on the left edge of the image. The angel holds a long staff in his left hand, looks at the viewer and points to Mary with the index finger of his right hand. She shows a pleased smile and points with open hands to the angel, signaling her consent.
The Visitation of Mary (page 6) follows the Annunciation. It depicts the visit (hence the visitation) of Mary to her relative Elisabeth, who was six months pregnant herself, to bring her the news of her conception. The two women stand opposite each other on friendly terms in the middle of the depiction. The gestures of Mary reveal pride and joy about what she has to report. Only Mary has a nimbus. The two figures at the edges belong to the subsequent sides of the capital.
Capital page 7: A scene that takes place in front of the Temple of Jerusalem , which is symbolized by an arcade in which an altar stands and covered by various scaled roof parts. On the right-hand corner is Zacharias , Elizabeth's husband , who had the rare task of offering the smoke offering in the temple . He waves a censer with his right hand. His facial features reveal surprise and speechlessness. The angel of the Lord (Gabriel) appears on the right corner, pointing with his left hand to Zacharias. He has just announced the message to him that his already older, so far childless wife will give birth to a son John (the Baptist) , and he has predicted a few things about his deeds. Both people wear nimben. In any case, this sculpture can be assigned to the hand of Rotbertu.
Capital page 8: Two angels stand at the corner edges, so their heads stand out particularly vividly. Due to the position on the corners, when viewed from the side, the nimbs become round, in the frontal view of the faces almond-shaped. Its high wings cover the head of the central figure, namely Joseph , Jesus' foster father. He wondered if he should cast his wife out. The angel on the left approaches him spontaneously and grabs his beard and tells him the Lord's command. The wonderfully shaped face with the bare, furrowed forehead is certainly one of the masterpieces of Rotbertus. He was certainly proud of it because he left there on the lower part of the tape: R (O) TB (ERT) TUS ME FECIT : Rotbertus created me .
To understand the next chapter, the following detail should be pointed out. The Gospel text commenting on the scene is carved into the fighter plate and is continued on the writing tape. There you can read in translation: Josef wanted to secretly expel her. This is where the sentence ends for lack of space. Everyone knows the sequel, which Rotbertus implemented pictorially. With an expressive gesture the angel pulls Joseph out of his vain thoughts. One must not forget this connection between image and text. On pages 5 and 6 of the capital, it is noticeable that the angels play the main role, while the role of Mary takes a back seat. Rather, the role of mediator is emphasized, which also applies to other capitals.
- Chapter C: The Disobedience of Eve.
The story of Adam and Eve is the subject of this chapter.
Chapter 9: Here stands a winged genius in a short robe, bare knees and gaiters reaching to the toes , in the midst of a lush flora . Bréhier interprets this side as symbolizing the earthly paradise.
Chapter 10: On it we see Adam and Eve in their innocent nakedness. To Eve's left is the diabolical snake, whose middle row of scales seem to have been replaced by precious stones. She seduced Eva, who had already picked the fateful fruit (here the grapes). Eva even took two of the fruits here. One of them gives Adam to eat, the other takes hold of the snake. With his twofold gesture Adam proves his tenderness with his touch of Eva's shoulder, with the other, with his foot on hers, his authority.
Chapter 11: The Lord appears in the garden of Eden . He announces his verdict and, with a gesture of his left hand, casts off the guilty Adam. Its naked figure on the edge of the capital also belongs to the adjacent capital side 12. In medieval iconography it was common, as was the case here, to place the nimbus of the cross intended for Christ, the god of Genesis . He holds the open book of life in his right hand , in which it is written: ECCE ADAM CASI UNUS EX VOBIS FAC (TUS EST) . Except for one consonant, this is the text of Genesis (3:22). There it says VOBIS instead of NOBIS: Adam has become one of yours and not one of ours. Is it a careless mistake on the part of the sculptor or the intention of the canons of Notre-Dame du Port, as a moral lesson that could be: "See, Adam has become one of you, a sinner" (?). However, the interpretation is generally recognized as a typo. This text is only the beginning of a longer section (Gen. 3, 22–24), for which there was not enough space here. The continuation of the text is illustrated, on the one hand by the refusing gesture of the Lord and by the energetic intervention of the judging angel on the neighboring side of the capital.
Capital side 12: Here the above-mentioned directing angel comes in, who dominates the capital side in a central position. Adam, cast out by God, whose desire has been awakened, turns angrily to Eve, pulls her hair and kicks her to the ground. The couple have covered their nakedness with foliage. The angel spontaneously extends his right hand and violently pulls Adam's goatee. This scene depicts the expulsion of Adam and Eve from earthly paradise , which spills over on the right edge of the capital from page 9 as an intertwined tendril with lush fruits.
- Chapter D: The Transfiguration (Ascension) of Mary.
This single theme dominates all four sides of the capital, perfectly carved by Rotbertus.
Capital page 13: The frontal view of the scene is dominated by an angel with widely spread wings, who holds the viewer with both hands the large, open book of life that contains the names of the elect. The graceful, large characters show that the most beautiful pages of the tome are open, on which the name of Mary is written. But the text is very difficult to read and interpret. The last line in particular causes great problems, which Rotbertus imaginatively transformed into a kind of monogram, is almost a picture puzzle. Only its general meaning is clear.
Bréhier and Du Ranquet read: ECCE LIBRO VITE; ECCE MARIA EST NOBIS (UM) ASC (RIPT) A : See, the book of life, see, Mary is registered next to us.
Dom Witters deciphers the second part of the sentence with: NOBIS AS (S) U (MPT) A : … see Maria ascends to heaven for us.
Fournier examined the inscription again. His more fluid and convincing interpretation reads: EGIT NOBIS AUXILIUM , as a whole sentence: See, the book of life. See Mary: she brought us her help.
Chapter 14: It is probably the most important of the whole cycle: The solemn Ascension of Mary .
Rotbertus created them based on the Apocrypha in Gregory of Tours , perhaps by others too. Christ with a cross nimbus has just snatched his mother's body from the open sarcophagus , which is supposed to remain on earth, as a testimony that she actually went through death. Now she lies wrapped in the shroud, alive in the arms of her son: In the face of the eternal light, she opens her eyes, she is already in heaven. The two angels flanking Christ hold two folded panels towards the viewer, on which one reads: MARIA HON (ORATA) IN CELUM : Mary transfigured in heaven . They are carrying censer in their other hands.
Page 15 of the capital: It shows the line-up of the triumphal procession , with an angel in the lead blowing the olifant (ivory bugle). In his left hand he holds up a spear to which the flag of the resurrection is attached. For Mary he fulfills one of the highest tasks entrusted to the angels. He brings the elect " together to the sound of a loud trumpet" (Matt. 24:31) and proclaims the great news to the entire kingdom of heaven: Mary has risen . The guard angels immediately open the gates of heaven. The angel on the left perceives the heavenly train from a distance and points in its direction.
Capital page 16: On the last page of the capitals the heavenly paradise is shown in the form of a church. In a large arcade, the altar and lamp can be seen, the signs of the divine presence. It is covered by scaled roofs and roof structures with windows. On both sides of the arcade there are pillars to which the wide-open gate leaves are attached with strong, artistically forged fittings and hinges. They are kept open by guard angels standing behind them.
The building shown is very similar to the one on page 7 of the capital, where it is supposed to represent the Temple of Jerusalem. There, too, you can see almost the same altar. The heavenly Jerusalem is also symbolized here.
More capitals in the building
The capitals with figurative sculptures are predominantly found in themes that are widespread in the region, such as: birds with tails made of foliage , centaurs , birds of prey , goddesses of victory writing on signs, angels and others. Their artistic value is nowhere near as exceptional as the narrative capitals in the choir apse described above.
However, the following can be highlighted:
- On the south side of the ambulatory: At the entrance to the ambulatory you will find the topic: The usury's infernal torment . The usurer , with an emaciated face and a rope around his neck, kneels naked between two grimacing devils. Two others hold a tape on which one reads: MILE ARTIFEX SDRIPSIT PRISISTI (= periisti) USURA : The thousand-crafted devil writes: Usury was your ruin.
Immediately behind the second courtyard chapel you come across a small capital with a strange scene: on one side there is a flower between two cranes (?), On the other an unusual variant of the widespread theme of a shepherd with a sheep over his shoulders wearing. Instead of a sheep, a man is carried, who is held by hand and foot by the carrier. The latter, in turn, holds up a long-necked poultry with the second hand and foot, probably geese. The meaning of this group is unclear. That a posed goose thief could be meant here seems rather unlikely.
- In the south aisle: The pillars facing the south portal in yoke have two interesting capitals. On one of them , angels fight demons . On the other , Christ resists temptation . Both seem to be related to each other. Facing the temptation of Jesus, on the same pillar you can see a vegetable carved capital with three masks . The name BERNHARD is engraved on the visible edge of the fighter, which is drawn around the entire plate. Swichoswski sees this as the sculptor's signature.
- In the north aisle: On a capital under the arcade in the fourth yoke you can see the mysterious showman leading a monkey by a rope . This representation is possibly related to that of the temptation of Jesus as a counterpart. The monkey, which is put on display at fairs, stands for the sinner, degraded to an animal, who has given in to the devil's lists.
- In the narthex: There are two noteworthy capitals with profile strips running one above the other, as in the case of folios stacked on top of one another. That brings to mind the book of books, or the book of life.
Capital, showman with monkey
Capital, with centaur
Capital, birds with tendril tails
Capital, with masks
Capitals on the outside of the building
- On the gable wall of the southern arm of the transept: The twin blind arcade stands on a capital with a representation of the (almost) sacrifice of Abraham . Abraham is ready to carry out the sacrifice of his son Isaac that is demanded of him by reaching back to strike with his sword. With his other hand he holds his son's head. Behind him stands an angel with outspread wings. Here Isaac is an adult who has leaned over the masonry altar table without resistance and reaches for the father's legs in anticipation of his execution. This could be a reference to Christ's sacrifice. The “substitute sacrificial animal” - a strong ram - is shown to the right above Isaac's body. A dog-like animal crouches at the lower left.
- On the partially circular columns of the inner chapels there is a capital with the sculpture Adam and Eve , obviously before the fall of man. Both persons are naked and kneel on one leg, the other angled upwards, turned slightly away from each other and looking outwards. With both hands you hold on to the sturdy tendrils of the vegetation of paradise, bearing lush grape fruits.
- Another capital on one of the chapels shows two winged four-legged creatures with the bodies of lions, for example, and the beaks of birds of prey, but with erect ears and strong paws with long claws. These griffins bend over a large goblet on both sides to drink from. Their tails fork in foliage.
Notre-Dame du Port, capital, 2 griffins drink from goblet
Capital, south arm of the transept, south gable wall, v. SO
Capital, south arm of the transept, south gable wall, v. SW
Capital, two griffins drink from a goblet
Capital, Adam and Eve
Sculpture of the south portals
Sculpture south portal in the 4th yoke
The sculpture of the south portal in the 4th yoke looks unusual, but it is common in the Limage. The rectangular portal, with a monolithic lintel, is covered by a large, round, somewhat stilted relief arch, the arch stones of which in turn have a protruding cantilever profile that bends horizontally at the base of the arch and soon hits the buttresses of the south wall. The arched field is set back slightly from the arch stones. On the lintel and the arched area there are sculptures, all of whose faces were smashed in the course of the French Revolution. The tops of the lintel rise flat from the outside to the center. The edge of the lintel consists of a narrow, angular profile all around, which protrudes from the background of the relief. The stilting of the arch is achieved by the lower two arch stones, which are significantly larger than the others.
The inscription on the edge of the lintel explains the relief. From left to right, three scenes are depicted on a plain blue background: The Adoration of the Wise Men, the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and the Baptism of Jesus . They form, as it were, three epiphanies (appearances) of the Word made flesh.
The left half of the fall is completely taken up by the first scene. It begins with the three horses from which the three men have just dismounted. They give their gifts to the child, the HETHEREO REGI , the King of Heaven , of which unfortunately only the myrrh case is completely preserved. The Madonna and Child are seated on a preciously carved throne. Both heads are chopped off, only the cross symbol still marks the head of the baby Jesus. The star of the wise has stopped next to the Madonna and her floating nimbus. The child is holding a scroll in his left hand , probably the Book of Life , while his right hand, as well as the arm and hand of the kneeling king who gives him the gift, are severed.
In the following scene the temple of Jerusalem is indicated by a large arcade, crowned with a roof turret, the tip of which touches the highest point of the picture field. In the arcade there is an altar and a lantern hangs, a sign of the divine presence. Similar representations of the Temple of Jerusalem or the heavenly Jerusalem can be found on the choir capitals. According to Jewish custom and law, the firstborn had to be given (“represented”) to God by his parents in the temple as his property and then released through a sacrifice (money or a sacrificial animal). As the inscription says: EXCIPITUR IN ULNIS SIMEONIS (= he is received in the arms of Simeon ) the high priest receives the child Jesus from Mary's hand, while Joseph waits behind her with the two doves, the sacrifice of the poor.
The last scene shows the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan: the one whom John the Baptist baptizes in the Jordan is the Son of God , the PROLEM D (OMI) NI . John, dressed in a cloak made of animal skins, is about to dip Jesus into the river, which is indicated by a wave crest. On the right an angel kneels with raised wings and holds out a piece of clothing to Jesus.
The arch field above the lintel is filled with a Majestas Domini . God the Father is enthroned between two seraphim with their three pairs of wings and with widely spread hands, whose open palms point towards the viewer. Only two of the obligatory four evangelist symbols have survived at the lower edge: Mark's lion and Luke's bull. The sculptures, like all heads, were mutilated during the revolution. The end of the throne had a right arm bent forward, the hand of which was probably raised in a gesture of blessing. In his left hand he was holding the Book of Life , of which only an angular corner has survived. The nimbus, on which a kind of paw cross can be seen, is also preserved. Like the lintel, the background is blue.
The monumental sculptures on both sides of the portal depict the prophet Isaiah and to the right of the door John the Baptist . According to Christian typology , the Old Testament prophet is considered to be the prefiguration of John.
Isaiah was active between 740 and 701 BC. As the first prophet of Israel, he promised the Israelites a future Messiah as a just judge and savior of the poor. His sculpture stands on a “fallen angel” whose wings reach upwards to the rear, and his damaged head points downwards. With his right hand facing upwards, Isaiah held up an indefinable larger object. His left was also angled upwards. What she was wearing remains undetected.
John the Baptist is lavishly dressed. He is the only person whose bearded head has largely been preserved. It stands on an architectural fragment with leaf ornamentation. The stump of the right arm shows a forearm pointing upwards. On the left arm you can see the corner of a tablet or a book with the remains of an inscription.
On the side above the tympanum there are two smaller reliefs. On the left the Annunciation and on the right the birth of Jesus . Brehier and Du Ranquet assume that the sculptures flanking the portal were originally placed in a different location.
The figurative sculptures of the lintel and the tympanum are shown particularly realistically, such as the upper body of Jesus, which protrudes from the Jordan, or the well thought-out silhouettes and the folds of the robes and their frills. The level of detail in these works suggests that they are of alien origin, such as Burgundy, Nivernais or Chartres, but all of them are questionable. If the faces were preserved, the assignment would be a little easier. The sculpture of the vestments is similar to that of the Last Supper capital from Issoire, which Swiechowski ascribes to a sculptor from Provence, possibly even the work of a sculptor from Auvergne.
South portal, tympanum, seraphim on the left
South portal, Isaiah
South portal, Johannes dT
South portal, relief top left, Annunciation
Sculpture south portal yoke 1
This portal is an ingredient from the Gothic era (1140 to 1200). It was subsequently broken down and decorated with dark gray stone material from Volvic , probably from the same period in which the former cloister of the monastery was also given a new architecture. On the tripartite garments are archivolts in the flamboyant style, tapering in the middle, with crab decorations, two pinnacles and a finial . There is a coat of arms in the arched field.
Current restorations of the interior
From August 2006 to the end of 2008, the interior of the church was thoroughly restored . It was not open to the public during this time. The almost completely blackened surfaces of the components are now hardly recognizable. The new photos of the interior show the current condition shortly before the restoration was completed. The walls, pillars, columns and vaults of the previously dark rooms now shine in a light, delicate yellow, even without artificial lighting. Component edges at openings, arches and their insides are set off a little darker. The previously prominent mortar joints were removed and replaced with carefully painted "joints". The carefully restored capitals stand out from the yellowish background with light gray and beige colored frames . In one corner of the south arm of the transept , one square meter of the old wall structure and color has been preserved. Those familiar with the previous state will experience a completely new interior.
literature
- Marcel Durliat : Romanesque Art. Freiburg-Basel-Vienna 1983, ills. 187, 237, 238 p. 483
- Marie-Claire Ricard : Notre Dame du Port. 2nd edition, Clermont-Ferrand 1992
- Ulrich Rosenbaum : Auvergne and Massif Central. Cologne [1981] 1989, p. 49, figs. 4-6
- Ingeborg Tetzlaff : Romanesque capitals in France. Cologne [1976] 3rd edition 1979, Figs. 25-27;
- Gerhard Vinken : Building structure and cult of saints. Romanesque sacral architecture in the Auvergne. Wernersche Verlagsgesellschaft, Worms 1997, ISBN 3-88462-134-3
- Bernhard Craplet : Romanesque Auvergne. Echter Verlag , Würzburg 1992, pp. 61–109, images 8–30, ISBN 3-429-01463-8
Web links
- Entry on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website ( English and French ).
- The photographs protruding from the capitals by the master sculptor Rotbertus in the Notre-Dame du Port basilica
Individual evidence
- ↑ s. Bernhard Craplet: Romanische Auvergne , Würzburg 1992. pp. 61–109.
Via Turonensis · Via Lemovicensis · Via Podiensis · Via Tolosana
Other buildings: Notre-Dame du Port collegiate church | Mont Saint-Michel
Alyscamps Necropolis and Saint Honorat Church in Arles | Former Abbey of Saint-Gilles | Pont du Diable near Saint-Jean-de-Fos | Former Gellone Abbey | Saint-Sernin Basilica and Hôtel-Dieu Saint-Jacques in Toulouse | Sainte-Marie Cathedral of Auch | Oloron-Sainte-Marie Church
In the central Pyrenees: Notre-Dame-du-Bourg church in Rabastens | Buildings in Saint-Lizier | Church of Tramesaygues | Saint-Just church in Valcabrère | Religious buildings in Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges | Saint-Laurent church in Jézeau | Hospice du Plan and Templar Chapel in Aragnouet | Parish Church of Gavarnie | Cotdoussan Church
Via Turonensis · Via Lemovicensis · Via Podiensis · Via Tolosana
Other buildings: Notre-Dame du Port basilica · Mont Saint-Michel
Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur church in Asquins | Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Vézelay | Sainte-Croix-Notre-Dame | Saint-Etienne cathedral of Bourges | Saint-Etienne Collegiate Church in Neuvy-Saint-Sépulchre | Church of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat | Périgueux Cathedral | Cadouin Abbey | Church of Saint-Avit-Sénieur | Former Saint-Jean-Baptiste Cathedral of Bazas | Saint-Sever Abbey . Champagne: Notre-Dame Basilica in L'Épine | Notre-Dame-en-Vaux | Via Turonensis | Via Podiensis | Via Tolosana . Other buildings: Notre-Dame-du-Port (Clermont-Ferrand) | Mont Saint-Michel .
Coordinates: 45 ° 46 ′ 50.3 " N , 3 ° 5 ′ 22.4" E