Notre-Dame-la-Grande (Poitiers)

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Notre Dame la Grande
facade

Notre-Dame la Grande is an art-historically significant former collegiate church in the French city ​​of Poitiers ( Vienne department ). The current parish church , which stands in the old town next to the Palace of the Counts of Poitou , is also one of the city's main tourist attractions. It is to be assigned to the Poitevine school of Romanesque .

history

Facade, detail

A previous building in the same place is mentioned in a document from 924. The present church was largely built in the 11th century and consecrated in 1086 by Cardinal Odon, who later became Pope Urban II . Between 1115 and 1130 the church was extended to the west and received its present magnificent facade.

Extensive reconstructions took place after 1887, and a restoration campaign between 1992 and 1995 .

architecture

West facade

Particularly worth seeing is the west facade of the church, richly decorated with ornaments and depicted with relief depictions of biblical motifs. It comes from the 2nd quarter of the 12th century.

The small-scale decoration of all surfaces with plastic jewelry is generally considered to be the characteristic of western French Romanesque, also called Poitevinian Romanesque after the center of Poitiers .

The main portal in the middle of the ground floor has no tympanum . Instead of side portals, it is flanked by two blind arcades , which a few years before the beginning of the Gothic period ( Saint-Denis abbey church in 1140) end with pointed arches . The area above the portal and blind arcades up to the final ledge on the ground floor is decorated on the left with scenes from the Old Testament , on the right with scenes relating to the birth of Christ. The two galleries on either side of the middle window on the upper floor show thirteen prophets and a pope, the mandorla in the two-storey gable shows Jesus Christ. The stepped arches of the portal and blind arcades are covered with ornaments, possibly letters that are partially alienated by ornaments.

Pseudo-basilica , central nave with barrel vault , below aisles with groined vaults

Extensions

Several late Gothic chapels were added to the ambulatory and the north aisle in the 16th century.

inner space

Central nave and aisle

Notre-Dame-la-Grande is a pseudo-basilica : the side aisles have groined vaults at the top of which is the base of the barrel vault of the central nave. The interior is therefore noticeably dark, and because of the unlit upper floor in the middle aisle, pseudo-basilicas are always dark, unless a window in the front side extends below the middle vault in the short nave. The splendid painting was renewed in the 19th century. Parts of the original painting have been preserved in the crypt.

organ

The history of the organs of Notre-Dame-la-Grande goes back to the year 1400. The present organ was completed in 1996 by the organ builder Yves Sévère. It is a polyphonic instrument with 33 registers on three manuals and a pedal . The actions are mechanical.

I Grand Orgue C-g 3
Quintaton 16 ′
Montre 8th'
Bourdon 8th'
Prestant 4 ′
Flood 4 ′
Duplicate 2 ′
Fifth 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Fittings IV
Cymbals III
Trumpets 8th'
Clairon 4 ′
II Positif de Dos C – g 3
Bourdon 8th'
Montre 4 ′
Flute 4 ′
Nasard 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Duplicate 2 ′
Tierce 1 3 ⁄ 5  ′
Sifflet 1'
Mixture III
Cromorne 8th'
III Récit C – g 3
Flute 8th'
Principal 4 ′
Flute 4 ′
Flute 2 ′
Sesquialtera II 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Mixture III
Voix Humaine 8th'
Pedale C – f 1
Soubasse 16 ′
Principal 8th'
Principal 4 ′
Night horn 2 ′
Mixture IV
trombone 16 ′

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ville de Poitiers: ' Découvrez l'église Notre-Dame-la-Grande (PDF)
  2. ↑ More information about the organ

Web links

Commons : Notre-Dame-la-Grande (Poitiers)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 46 ° 34 ′ 59.6 ″  N , 0 ° 20 ′ 38.4 ″  E