Notre-Dame (Semur-en-Auxois)
The former Notre-Dame collegiate church in Semur-en-Auxois ( Département Côte-d'Or ) is one of the lesser-known masterpieces of Gothic architecture in Burgundy .
The monastery was founded in 1060 or 1065 by Duke Robert I of Burgundy. The increasing pilgrimage (Semur was also a station on a branch route of the Way of St. James ) made a new building necessary, which was started in 1225. In the 14th century the west facade with vestibule and the crossing tower were built. From 1844 a thorough restoration was carried out by Viollet-le-Duc .
The building is a three-aisled basilica with a double-tower facade, a transept with an octagonal crossing tower and a five-aisled choir with a gallery and radial chapels. Most comparable to the Cathedral of Auxerre and Notre-Dame de Dijon , the collegiate church of Semur represents the classic Gothic architectural style of Burgundy on a smaller scale. The choir and transept are divided into three floors. The double-shell or “diaphane” wall, which is particularly pronounced in Burgundy, is shown here in the triforium and in the upper aisle with a walkway. In the choir, the arcades are supported by massive round pillars with bud capitals, above the fighters the services sit on cube consoles, just like in the nave of Dijon. Typically Burgundy are the services in the upper storey area, which are at staggered heights. The main nave was also originally three-story, the triforium was removed during the renovation in the 14th century. Otherwise, the forms of the 13th century, the cantoned round pillars, the walkway and the immaculate lancet windows characterize the building. Semur is characterized by the ratio of height and width in the nave and choir, which gives the room a steep slenderness. This impression is underlined by the uninterrupted service in the nave up to the vaults (see Clamecy ).
The church had a three-portal system with an extensive program of figures, which, however, was completely destroyed. The Madonna standing on the Trumeau today was subsequently placed here. Late Gothic stone figures of the evangelists have been preserved above the vestibule. On the crossing tower you can see figures with amphorae, which symbolize the rivers of Paradise. The delightful side portal, which was formerly protected by a two-storey vestibule, shows the story of the apostle Thomas in the tympanum with the following scenes: The disbelief of Thomas. The sea voyage to India. The feast at which the cook slaps Thomas, whereupon the cook's hand falls off. Thomas distributes the money he received from the king for building the palace to the poor. The king puts him in jail. The king is converted when Thomas explains that through the gifts to the poor he has acquired a palace in heaven. Representations of the monthly work appear in the archivolts.
The church has a rich interior from the 15th to 17th centuries with glass windows, stone sculptures, wood and metalwork. Particularly noteworthy is an entombment group from the end of the 15th century, transferred from the Carmelite Convent in 1791, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful of its kind in Burgundy and is stylistically close to Pierre Antoine de Moiturier (cf. Johann Ohnefurcht's tomb from the Chartreuse de Champmol ).
See also
literature
- Bußmann, Klaus: Burgundy. Cologne [1977] 2nd edition 1978. (DuMont Art Travel Guide), p. 223, color plate 12, fig. 143
Web links
Coordinates: 47 ° 29 ′ 25.6 ″ N , 4 ° 19 ′ 56.9 ″ E