Notre-Dame Antigny (Vienne)
The church Notre-Dame in Antigny , a French commune in the department of Vienne in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine , was in the time of Romanesque built.
Outward appearance
Surroundings
The church is surrounded on all sides by local streets, which only keep a little distance in front of the west facade (separated by a semicircular forecourt) and on the north side (separated by a lawn). The level of the adjacent area starts in front of the facade at about the height of the portal threshold and then drops on both long sides of the church by about two meters to its east side. Opposite the facade is the village square: a rectangular lawn area surrounded by deciduous trees. It has been a listed building since 1884. The square is part of the former necropolis. At its eastern end, near the church, is the death lantern .
Dimensions
The sources do not provide any information about the dimensions of the church, and the template for the floor plan does not have a scale by which the dimensions could be grasped.
facade
The front facade can be divided into a rectangle and a towering gable triangle standing above it with an inclination of about 60 degrees, the height of the rectangle roughly corresponding to that of the gable triangle . The gable wall only slightly protrudes over the roof surfaces behind it, the verges are covered by slightly cantilevered stone slabs. The covers end at the eaves on short horizontal cornice pieces with a beveled lower edge. The elevation of the facade of the original Romanesque church has to be imagined differently. Because of the significantly lower inclination of the gable roof at that time, the incline of the verges was correspondingly lower and their ridge height was significantly lower.
The round arched three-tier archivolt main portal is formed from the simple, stepped wedge- shaped stones of the arches and simple, stepped lateral soffit recesses . The arches stand on simple fighter plates . The outer arch is covered by a simple cantilever profile and stands on somewhat wider wall pillars that protrude from the facade wall. Above the portal and flush with the wall pillars, the entire wall section jumps out between the outer edges of the pillars and slightly protrudes beyond the outer arch. Immediately above the outer arch stones there is a slender arched window, which is framed by a smooth wedge arch and simple angular reveals. Its arch is covered by a narrow cantilever profile, which merges into the horizontal at its ends. A stone paw cross stands on the gable ridge .
On the right side of the main portal there is a stone bench called the “stone of the dead” because the coffin of the deceased was placed on it at burials before it was carried to the tomb. The almost two meter long monolith is slightly rounded on the underside. It rests on four short, reused, elegant Gothic pillars. A massive stone block is placed on the left side of the portal. It has the shape of a truncated pyramid with a square base, the sides of which are slightly rounded vertically. The top is occupied by a square recess. According to the sources, the stone could have served as a base for a monumental cross.
Main roof and bell tower
Behind the facade is the gable roof, which is steeply inclined at around 60 degrees. It has a rectangular floor plan and covers the nave and choir of the church. It is covered with red shingle-shaped roof tiles, which have been widespread in the Gartempe valley for a long time. The eaves protrude generously on the north side and allow the rainwater to drip off freely.
A bell tower with an almost square floor plan and Gothic style elements rises above the first choir bay. On its north and south side there is an ogival sound arcade with sound lamellas. Their vertical outer reveals are beveled at 45 degrees and simply stepped in the curve. The bench of the sound arcade stands on a protruding wall that takes up the entire width of the tower and is sloping on the top. At the lower end of the projection, the tip of an arch with its smooth arch stones protrudes from the roof surface. It is covered by a projecting cantilever profile, which is then led horizontally just above the roof covering to the corner and from there steeply up to the ridge of the roof. The arches below the roof surface transfer the tower load to the four pillars inside the choir.
On the west and south sides of the tower there are only very small sound hatches because of the gable roof ridge that ends there. The arrangement and the arches basically correspond to those of the large hatches. The tower walls are closed on the top with a wide eaves cornice .
On the tower rises a stone helmet in the form of a steep-sided octagonal pyramid, four of its walls stand on the four tower walls. The remaining four helmet walls delimit four triangular parts of the tower tops, which are covered with flat sloping roofs made of stone slabs, which reach down to the eaves cornice. The helmet walls are also covered with such stone slabs. Its ridges are adorned with Gothic crabs . The top of the spire is crowned by a modified paw cross, which resembles a Coptic cross (see illustration) and stands on a circular disc. On each of the four sides of the tower, a stone dormer with a rectangular sound hatch and a saddle roof is attached to the helmet wall. The gable of the dormer is decorated with ornaments that are reminiscent of Gothic tracery . The verges of the dormer bear Gothic crabs. Over the tower corners small square pillars protrude, which are oriented diagonally and a sort of finial carry. On the corners of the tower and to the side of the dormers, stone gargoyles in the form of masked sculptures are attached above the eaves . The rainwater that runs down the helmet is spat out through their mouths.
Southern extensions
The south side is flanked along its entire length by extensions with towed roofing . The roof has a lower slope of only about 30 degrees. At the eaves, the rainwater drips freely without a gutter. The western part of the extensions is occupied by an open narthex, also known as the vestibule or "ballet". It makes up about two thirds of the ship's length. Direct access leads into the ship. The narthex room is open to below the roof. The towing roof is supported by five triangular wooden trusses that rest on the one hand in the masonry of the south wall of the ship and on the other hand on a purlin . The latter rests on four slender stone pillars about one meter high with a rectangular cross-section, the heads of which are widened with transom plates. The pillars stand on a high brick parapet wall. At the east end of the vestibule, opposite the south portal, the wall extends under the purlin. An opening the size of a door is cut out in it, which is covered with a slender arch and the reveal edges are decorated with simple profiles. The door can no longer be used as such, because its threshold is almost two meters above the outer level. Presumably, the altitude of the adjoining area has changed in the past. Iron hinges indicate that the opening could be closed with a door leaf . On the outside of the lintel is a stone, simple coat of arms . Stone benches are installed on both inner long sides of the vestibule.
In continuation of the narthex - under the same roof - two chapels adjoin. The eastern chapel, the "Sainte-Catherine", is slightly shorter than the length of the choir. The second chapel is only half as long. Its south walls merge flush with the surface, but were built at different times. This is indicated by the two neighboring windows in different shapes, sizes and altitudes. The larger window of the Katharinenkapelle has an arched arch and is framed by triple round bars . The smaller window of the small chapel is slimmer, has right-angled reveal edges, is covered by a round arch and is set significantly higher. The sources do not provide any information about the importance of the small extension on the south wall of the Sainte-Catherine chapel. It is covered by a flat sloping pent roof which connects to the chapel just below the eaves. There is a tiny, almost square window in the east side wall.
Over the entire length of the south wall of the church, a steeply sloping reinforcement made of gray to anthracite-colored basalt stones was obviously built at a later date at the base . The horizontal upper edge of the wall is roughly level with the benches of the narthex and its lower edge follows the even slope of the street. With the same slope inclination, the slope base becomes wider and wider from the west to the east end, as does the slope height, which starts at a good one meter and ends a little over two meters. The small extension mentioned is underlain by a kind of half truncated pyramid. Together with the no longer usable door in the narthex, this reinforcement indicates that the area was once higher up on the south wall. Presumably it was removed during the construction of the road along the south side of the church, which made the embankment wall necessary.
East wall
The east gable wall of the choir, the width of the nave, has an outline comparable to the facade, but the lower rectangular area is about two meters higher. The choir wall, which extends down to the lower street level, shows that the street has always connected at this level. The covering and inclination of the verges corresponds to that of the facade. The head sides of the gable wall that were originally free at the upper end are each covered by a small gable roof . The strong buttresses on the gable sides reach just below the eaves of the chancel and are about two meters below it to double the depth. Their tops are bevelled at 45 degrees and covered with flat bricks. In the center of the gable wall is an astonishingly large ogival window, the walls of which are simply profiled. The pointed arch is covered by a cantilever profile. The windowsill is a good three meters above the floor and the apex is a good bit above the eaves . The window is adorned with Gothic tracery in the flamboyant style. Directly under the window sill, the wall between the individual buttresses becomes slightly thicker and the protrusion is covered with sloping and cantilevered panels.
In the extension of the gable wall of the choir stands the gable wall of the Sainte-Catherine chapel . The slope of the pent roof aisle is significantly flatter than the subsequent roof covering. As a result, the verge ends well above the eaves of the southern outer wall.
North face
The terrain falling from west to east probably also connected to the north wall at the same altitude as it can be seen today. The wall height increases with the slope. Just like the current nave, the first Romanesque church reached from the facade to the second buttress. In the upper third of the wall three slot-like windows are recessed at the loopholes remember, the central one, is slightly wider than the two outer. Monolithic stones with the small arches chiselled out by the stonemason serve as semicircular covers for the windows. The whole wall has a single buttress, not quite in the middle, which is slimmer and less expansive than the others, which confirms that the nave was never arched in stone. The pillar also reaches under the eaves. Slightly offset, under the middle window, you can see the brickwork of a former round-arched doorway. The wall of the two- bay choir, which was added later , is stiffened by three more massive buttresses, which are similar to those on the east wall of the choir and also reach under the eaves. The yoke widths are slightly different. In the eastern yoke there is a slender, arched window of medium size, the apex of which extends just below the eaves and the soffit edges are formed at right angles. If one compares this window with the large window in the east gable of the choir, one arrives at the assumption that there an originally smaller round arched window was enlarged to a large ogival arched window.
Interior
Nave
The plan of the rectangular nave coincides with the first Romanesque church from the 11th century. The original church probably reached under the joists of the then gently sloping gable roof, which was supported by triangular trusses . It is possible that the old church was covered by a flat beamed ceiling with wooden formwork on top. The partition between the nave and the choir of today's church was originally the eastern outer wall of the Romanesque church, which perhaps ended with a semicircular choir apse .
The visitor enters the ship either through the main portal in the facade wall or through the slightly smaller south portal from the open narthex. Both entrances are covered with a round arch and surrounded by sloping walls. Three newly built steps lead down to the floor level of the ship. The floor is covered by a wooden, slightly pointed vault that is clad on the underside with dark-colored wooden boards. At the beginning of the vault there are cornice-like horizontal wooden beams that protrude slightly from the wall surfaces. Directly on top of them lie a total of four wooden drawstrings with a round cross-section, stretched across the ship , which seem to be suspended in the middle with wooden supports on the top of the vault. The tension straps are part of the structural analysis , which provides for a construction with triangular trusses in the roof structure . These absorb the horizontal thrust flow and the weight of the wooden vault and divert the forces vertically to the longitudinal walls. In this way, the ship largely manages without external buttresses.
In each of the two long walls, three slit-like, arched windows, which are said to come from the original Romanesque building, are left open. Their cloaks and window sills are greatly widened and their vertices reach just below the vaults. The three windows on the south side hardly provide any daylight today, as two of them are shaded by the later addition of the open narthex and the third by the small chapel. A large ogival opening that led into the small chapel was cut out between the south portal and the wall to the choir. On the opposite north wall there used to be another door with a round arched cover, slightly offset under the middle window. Today there is only a niche of it, as it was walled up on the outside flush with the surface.
The partition wall to the choir, the former outer wall of the church, received three arched arcade openings when it was added in the 13th century. The large central one is called the triumphal arch and is flanked by significantly narrower and lower passages. Their arch approaches are marked with simply profiled fighters. The two disproportionately massive buttresses , which are built on the ship side against the pillars separating the arcades, were probably only added later when it was discovered during the construction of the heavy bell tower that the pillars were not sufficiently stable. This can be seen from the crossbones of the arcade openings, the length of which corresponds to the wall thickness (without taking into account the buttresses). The buttresses, the tops of which are steeply sloping, protrude a short distance from the vaulting.
In the middle of the west wall of the ship there is a round arched main portal and just above it is the small round arched window, the expansion of which at the inner edges is almost the size of the portal.
The frescoes of the ship, which were mostly created in the 14th century, were originally on all walls of the ship. Most of them have been well restored. On the south wall, however, only remains can be seen below the window sills. On the north wall, however, the plaster paintings extend a good bit deeper. The wall to the choir shows only a few approaches apart from a well-preserved image of the Archangel Michael on the left buttress. The iconography of the frescoes in the nave is discussed below.
Choir
Wall to the ship
Church, choir vault, yoke 1
Church, choir vault, yoke 2
Vaulted console
Keystone
Keystone
The choir, which has an almost square floor plan, is the same width as the nave. The two pillars with a square floor plan that support the east wall of the bell tower are eye-catching. They have no relation to the structure of the two equally wide, four-part cross - ribbed vaults , which are separated by a belt arch made of twin ribs . This suggests that the planning for the construction of a bell tower above the choir only took place after the choir was vaulted. The two yokes of the vault, with an elongated rectangular outline, are divided by diagonal Gothic cross ribs and are framed by half rib arches at the wall connections of the vaulted gussets . Two shield arches each on the north and east side are pointed arches . The other, almost twice as wide, on the east and west sides, on the other hand, have semicircular arches. All ribs of the vault stand on a total of six cantilever consoles , the corners of which are decorated with human faces and masks. The cross ribs meet in the apex of the vault on circular keystones that are decorated with artistic rosettes . The abovementioned pillars pierce the vault of the first yoke in its eastern gusset. Half of the twin ribs are underpinned and the cross ribs are cut diagonally: a solution that may not be entirely convincing.
In the middle of the eastern choir wall, directly above the altar, a large ogival window is cut out, which makes the choir - the sanctuary - shine particularly brightly in contrast to the weak lighting of the ship. The window is ornately decorated with Gothic tracery in the flamboyant style. The lighting is supported by a much smaller, round-arched window in the middle of the second choir bay, the apex of which, as with the large window, reaches almost below the apex of the shield arch. The south wall had a window of the same type up to the extension of the "Sainte-Catherine" chapel, which was then walled up. Under this former window there is an opening the size of a door, which is spanned with a pointed arch and leads into the Katharinenkapelle. In the first choir bay there is a much larger passage into this chapel, which is also equipped with a pointed arch.
The floor of the choir has two steps across its entire width: one on the rear edge of the wall - between nave and choir and a second on the front edge of the two pillars within the choir. The high altar stands on a rectangular platform in front of the east wall and can be reached from three sides via three steps.
The extremely simple and banal painting of the walls, pillars and vaults of the choir probably comes from modern times . The predominantly white wall surfaces are painted with a joint pattern. Large-format rectangular stones, each with a small rosette in the middle, are simulated. Opening edges in the form of imitation stone blocks are beige-colored. The beige-colored vault ribs are divided into arch stones by painted, false joints and the vault gussets are tinted sky blue.
Chapelle Sainte-Catherine
The Sainte-Catherine funeral chapel was added after 1421. It has an elongated, rectangular plan the length of the choir and is covered with an ogival vault. A pointed arcade opens to the first choir bay, which was chiseled out when the chapel was built. There was a similarly large ogival opening to the second yoke. But when half of the chapel was temporarily converted into a sacristy by means of a partition wall, the latter opening was reduced to a pointed arched door by means of a wall. The walling, half as thick as the wall, is flush with the wall on the choir side and leaves behind the ogival niche with the sacristy door on the chapel side, as it is still preserved today. In 1985 the partition wall was removed and the original size of the St. Catherine's Chapel was restored. Between the two former large openings to the choir, the buttress of the former outer wall of the choir rises up and ends in the vault.
The round arched window on the east wall of the burial chapel with heavily inwardly widened walls has moved away from the center as a result of the redesign. Below the window, the contours of a former altar that was attached directly to the wall are still visible. The plaster painting is left out there. An ogival wall niche can be seen on the opposite west wall. This is what remains of a pointed arched window that existed before the smaller chapel was added. Not far from there is a much smaller window with an arch in the southern outer wall. This window was probably created when the former window on the west wall was bricked up. The St. Catherine's Chapel with its frescoes used to be more strongly illuminated than is the case today. Not quite in the middle of the south wall is a small annex, the importance of which is not given by the sources. A toilet may have been installed there when one of the chapel halves was still serving as a sacristy.
The iconography of the frescoes in St. Catherine's Chapel is explained in a section below.
Today's sacristy
The former second chapel, following the Katharinenkapelle, is a good half the size of the latter. It is accessible from the ship through a large ogival passage, the size of the opening being comparable to that of the neighboring chapel. The chapel is illuminated by a small, slender, arched window in the south wall, which - seen from the outside - is significantly higher than the small window next door. The sources do not provide any information about the time the chapel described here was built. When it was later converted into a sacristy, it was fitted with a double door. It has not been open to the public since then. The fact that the former third window in the south wall of the nave above the large door is not walled up indicates that the chapel has no stone vaults.
Plaster paintings of the church
The frescoes in the Church of Antigny and its Sainte-Catherine funeral chapel are part of the so-called Circuit Vallée des Fresques ("Valley of the Frescos") which stretches from Saint-Savin ( UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 ) to Montmorillon . Since the church of Antigny was built as an offshoot of the Abbey of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe , whose plaster paintings, which were 200 years older, were widely known, it is obvious that it too was decorated with frescoes.
Frescoes in the ship
The restored remains of the frescoes that have survived today are evidence of what was once complete painting, right up to the apex of the gable walls of the nave. In the ship, however, all the former paintings from the floor to about half the wall height have been destroyed. In some places, no fewer than six different layers covered the raw wall substrates before the restoration. These layers were created in different epochs and included, among other things: a Romanesque decoration, a mourning ribbon ( liter funéraire ), paint remover and various whitewashes. The plaster layer based on plant fibers was applied with a small trowel and is therefore uneven. When fresco painting, only as much plaster may be applied as can be painted in the still undried state. The paintings were done with a simple color palette and only have a few tones. White, beautiful yellow (yellow ocher ) and red ocher are dominant . Traces of red ocher for the sketch can be seen on all painted surfaces. Panicle ornaments with flowers enrich the scenes and blend harmoniously between the figures.
Frescoes on the north wall
Ship, north wall, position sketch
Ship, north wall, general view
A + B
B + C
D + E
F3 + F4
F1
G
G (right: dragon tail)
F4
The individual scenes on the north wall could be read like sections of the Creed ( creed ) that was customary when they were created . The Creed came from Spain as part of the liturgy to Franconia, where it was spread in the 8th century. In 810, Pope Leo III was called. officially approved the chanting of the Creed during the mass at the request of Charlemagne .
Only very few of the faithful who attended the masses at that time understood Latin, the language of the mass liturgy. So the majority could hardly follow the wording of the fair. On the other hand, the paintings were able to explain the priest's sermon vividly if the latter indicated it with simple gestures.
Explanation of the scenes The letters in the legend refer to the sketch of the position of the north wall.
- A: "He suffered and was buried ..." (literally translated from the French creed : "He is dead and was buried" )
- The first scene, near the main portal (at that time with the large cemetery in front of it), is dedicated to the events between the descent from the cross, burial and the orphaned grave. The body of Christ was taken from the cross on Friday, then placed in the grave and finally wrapped in a shroud. The base for the sarcophagus is an arcade with three round arches, each with a large chalice-like vessel. Presumably the still empty vessels are containers for holding the spices (aromatic herbs) which the mourners wanted to prepare after the Sabbath and bring with them for anointing.
- The following scene shows the empty tomb the day after the Sabbath. The gathered shroud, the sleeping soldiers, the angel and the three women demonstrate that Christ's victory over death led them to the grave. The same three women sit under the arcade arches and bow their heads over the spices they have brought with them to embalm the deceased.
- B: "... has descended into the realm of death ..." ( "He went to hell" )
- Tradition has it that after his death, Christ went to hell to save the dead with the redeeming incarnation . The scene here shows the two naked people - Adam and Eve - holding Jesus' hand, leaving the jaws of a monster with large, pink, open jaws.
- "Hell" ( Hebrew: " Sheol ") here refers to the realm of the dead from the Old Testament , a place of residence of all the dead, not to be confused with the realm of the damned.
- C: "... rose on the third day ..." ( "On the third day rose from the dead" )
- According to John (20: 14-18), Mary Magdalene in the garden near the crucifixion site is the first person to whom the risen Christ appears. Other evangelists , however, report that several women witnessed this event.
- D: "... and ascended to heaven." ( "Ascent into heaven" )
- The apostles turn their eyes to Christ, of whom only the feet and the lower end of his garment can be seen, and watch as Jesus floats into heaven on a cloud. It was announced to them that they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit ( Acts 1 : 8-9).
- E: "We believe in the Holy Spirit ..." ( "I believe in the Holy Spirit" )
- At Pentecost , the Holy Spirit descended on the Christian community and brought about speaking in tongues , which sometimes caused horror and sometimes ridicule among outsiders ( Acts 2 : 1–13). As is customary in Christian iconography , the Holy Spirit is depicted as a flying dove.
- F: "... the community of saints ..." ( no longer appears in today's German Credo )
- The saints who lived the message of the evangelists are both role models and protectors for the faithful.
- F1: Saint George
- The St. George is sitting on a white horse and fighting against the dragon (the dragon is in the picture overall view to be seen). Legend has it that he was a Roman officer who freed a city from a monster that devoured humans and animals. He is said to have been a martyr who died at the beginning of the persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian . In the course of the third crusade , Richard the Lionheart put his army under his protection; later he became the national saint of England.
- Q2: Saint Martin
- According to legend, St. Martin , who was a Roman officer and one of the most famous saints of the Catholic Church, shared his cloak with a sword and gave the cut half of it to a beggar. In any case, this scene is the most famous representation of Saint Martin. He was the third bishop of Tours and founded one of the first monasteries in the West in Ligugé near Poitiers .
- F3: Louis IX.
- Louis IX , called Louis the Saint (French: Saint-Louis ), was King of France from 1226 to 1270. He came from the Capetian dynasty and is one of the most important European rulers of the Middle Ages.
- Q4: Saint Christopher
- Christophorus ( Greek : christos , pherein = "Christ- bearer ") is a saint of Christians about whose life little has been handed down. As usual, he is depicted here as a giant with a walking stick carrying the baby Jesus on his shoulders across a river. The depiction is not free from irony : the child holds onto the wearer's head of hair with his left hand, while his right shows the gesture of blessing . The face of the child has the full beard of the adult Jesus and is backed with a nimbus of the cross .
- From the 13th century it was common to carry devotional images with the image of Saint Christopher on oneself in order to protect oneself from sudden death.
- G: Unidentified people
- G left : A person with his mouth wide open climbs up on a sloping ladder that protrudes from the picture on the left. In the middle is a woman holding a mug with her right hand. She reaches into her shoulder bag with her left hand. In front of her, but with his face turned away, a tonsured clergyman kneels , hands up and folded in prayer.
- G right : Sitting on a chair that is too large to scale with a high backrest, strangely twisted, is a woman who probably wears a crown. To the left of it you can see another person whose image is pretty much destroyed. Scene F1 begins on the right , with the kite's tail tapering to four heads.
- H: Relics of the Romanesque decor
Frescoes on the choir wall
- Archangel Michael : On the buttress to the left of the triumphal arch, the weighing of souls by the Archangel Michael is shown. The balance consists of a long stick whose upper end ends in a cross. In the middle of this bar is a rotating crossbeam attached. The two scales are completely faded. Under the angel's feet, a person lies on his back on the ground.
Frescoes on the south wall
On the side and under one of the windows there are still some intact frescoes:
Last supper
Washing of feet & imprisonment of Jesus
Mary Queen of Heaven & Death of the Bishop
Death of the bishop
crucifixion
Remnants of frescoes & graffiti
Remnants of frescoes & fleur-de-lys
- Last supper
- The Lord's Supper is to the right of the narthex window. The gestures of the ten apostles depicted indicate a lively discussion. The two missing apostles are probably depicted on the adjoining window frames . Most of the disciples sit upright behind the long table. One, presumably Jesus' favorite disciple, John , seems to be resting in the arms of Christ, who is touching the back of his head with his left hand. Another person has fallen on his knees in front of the table and is leaning far down. The dark object in front of him could represent a large wine jug. Perhaps it is the traitor Judas (without a nimbus ) who is serving the bowl from which the community will eat. Apart from some dishes, no further details can be seen on the table. The heads of the upright people are backed with nimbs, sometimes light, sometimes dark. The halo of Christ is provided with rays.
“On the evening of that day Jesus was eating with the twelve disciples. While they were eating he said: "One of you will betray me!" Startled everyone asked: "Do you mean me?" Jesus replied: "The one who dipped bread into the bowl with me, it is."
- Washing of the feet and arrest of Jesus
- These two scenes connect to the right edge of the window. The first section is very short and shows the washing of the feet . Christ in dark clothes kneels before the seated, white-haired Peter. He has a cloth in his hand which he dips into a bowl to wash Peter's feet.
“Now he came to Simon Petrus. He said to him: "Lord, are you washing my feet?" Jesus replied: "You do not understand now what I am doing, but afterwards you will understand it." Peter said to him: "You shall not wash my feet forever!" Jesus replied: "If I don't wash you, you have no part in me."
- In the second scene (right), Jesus stands among his disciples and is hugged and kissed by Judas. To the right stands the white-haired Peter and grasps the outstretched arm of Jesus with his left hand. With his raised right hand he holds his sword ready to be cut and, like Malchus , a servant of the high priest, who is standing behind him on the right, he will cut off the ear.
"Judas had agreed with them:" The man I am going to kiss is the one. You have to arrest him! " Judas went up to Jesus and said: "Greetings, Master!" Then he kissed him. "
“When Simon Peter had a sword, he drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear; but the servant's name was Malchus. Then Jesus said to Peter: “Put your sword in its sheath! Shall I not drink the goblet that my father gave me? »"
"And he touched his ear and healed him."
- Mary Queen of Heaven
- The small scene on the right below the window is supposed to represent the enthroned Mother of God in heaven ( Queen of Heaven ). It is framed by magnificent parts of the building that symbolize the sky. She holds up a small object in her right hand. The fresco is badly damaged so that hardly any details can be seen.
- Mourning the death of the bishop
- Immediately after the Queen of Heaven is the next scene, which presumably depicts the mourning for the death of a bishop . He is wrapped in a shroud, carries a miter and lies stretched out on a stretcher. Closest to him are three dignitaries dressed in precious robes and with miters. The middle one holds a cross in his right hand. Two people close to him stand between them. Behind these stands a larger group of mourners who, thanks to their tonsure , can be identified as monks.
- crucifixion
- A crucifixion scene is shown to the left under the window, with the crucified one apparently wearing a crown. It is flanked by two figures whose image is heavily weathered. These are probably John and Mary, the Mother of God. To the left of it, separated by a panicle of plants, you can see a king, recognizable by the crown and the scepter in his left hand.
- graffiti
- On the south wall you can also find a number of remains of frescoes, including fragments of inscriptions. These are later additions. There are also occasional markings of stations of the cross
- Fleur-de-Lys
- The fleur-de-lys , symbol of the French kings (especially those from the Bourbon house ), can also be found among the remains of the frescoes.
Frescos from the Sainte-Catherine funerary chapel
Katharinenkapelle, looking east
Katharinenkapelle, looking west
Frescoes above and on the east wall
Majesty of Christ & Evangelist symbols
Majesty of christ
Evangelist symbols winged man & bull
Evangelist symbols lion & eagle
- The majesty of Christ
- The majesty of Christ is presented in a mandorla on the vaulted section above the east wall and above the former altar . This almond-shaped shape was reserved for Christ or the Mother of God. Here it is surrounded by the four evangelist symbols: winged man for Matthew , an eagle for John, a lion for Mark and finally a bull for Luke .
- On the east wall itself, between the lower edge of the window sill and the upper edge of the former altar, you can see a small frieze depicting six people. The following can be identified: Christ on the cross (between Mary and John) and a bishop.
Frescoes on and above the south wall
Katharinenkapelle, south wall, position sketch
Saint Sebastian & the coat of arms of those of Moussy
On the south wall and the adjoining vault there is a cycle of images at the very top under the top of the vault that shows the childhood of Jesus. Furthermore you can see the passion of Christ in the middle and at the bottom . In the middle to the left are the representations of St. Sebastian and the coat of arms of those of Moussy .
Annunciation
Birth of jesus
Annunciation to the Shepherds
Offering of the three holy kings
Killing the Innocent Children
Last supper
Capture of Jesus
Interrogation and flagellation & Jesus before Pilate
- The Annunciation
- The archangel Gabriel announced to the kneeling virgin that she would give birth to a son, to whom she was to name Jesus. (Luke 1, 26-38)
- The birth
- The scene (Luke 2, 1-7) shows an open stable with a roof and wooden supports in which the child, surrounded by a halo, lies uncovered in a manger . Diapers are hung over a strut. Mary stands or sits on the left, Joseph on the right . Both fold their hands in prayer. In the middle behind the crib there is an ox and a donkey that keep the child warm. This is an encore that does not come from the Gospels, but goes back to old traditions and traditions, such as a verse by the prophet Isaiah .
- Preaching the Good News to the Shepherds
- The angel of the Lord appears wrapped in a cloud and holds up a banner with outstretched arms. He thus announces the birth of Christ to the shepherds. One of the shepherds falls on his knees, the other two make music with a bagpipe and a shawm .
- Offering of the three holy kings
- The astrologers , even manner or kings called (in the French text magician ), the child sitting on the lap of his mother, "Gold, sacrificing incense and myrrh " in precious vessels. The eldest, with white hair and a foot-length garment, kneels in front of the child and holds a bowl in his hand. The second, in a short robe, points with his right hand to the star that brought them here. He wears long black hair that is covered with a sweeping cap - perhaps also a crown. In his left hand he is holding a large vessel shaped like a bottle. The third, in a knee-length robe, is dark-skinned and carries a large goblet in his left hand. His head is covered by a golden crown. Behind Maria to the left, Josefs looks over her shoulder.
- Killing the Innocent Children of Bethlehem
- On the left side of the scene, King Herod gives the order to kill the children of Bethlehem ( child murder in Bethlehem ). Strangely enough, he carries a scepter in his left hand with a lily (French Fleur-de-Lys ), the symbol of French royalty, at the top . On the right you can see how the toddlers, some of whom are in the arms of their mothers, are killed with swords.
- The last supper
- In the row below the Annunciation, the Passion cycle begins with the Last Supper . Behind the laid table sit ten disciples, in their midst Christ (from this scene always with a cross nimbus), who holds his favorite disciple John in his arms and comforts him with his hand. This section is similar to the Lord's Supper scene in the ship. Another disciple is standing at the right end of the table, and two other disciples are sitting on the front of the table at the ends of the table who have turned to one side. Another person in front of the table indicates that he is kneeling and seems to be holding the bowl of Passover lamb with both hands . Since this figure is the only one without a nimbus, it can be identified as Judas; their gestures then also fit in with verses Matthew 26, 21-23.
- It is not known why the actual number of disciples is exceeded by two in this scene. The gestures - sometimes their hands are on the table, sometimes they bring them to their mouth - reveals that they are dining. The plate before Christ contains the roast lamb, the plate further to the right contains a large, whole fish. The contents of the plate on the left edge of the table has meanwhile faded and can no longer be recognized. The crescent-shaped yellow slices seem to represent bread. There are three knives spread out on the table. At the right end of the table is the only drinking vessel, a large mug. Three large wine jugs can be seen under and in front of the table. The third person to the right of Christ points to his neighbor, who is presumably holding up a key and can thus be identified as Peter.
- Capture of Jesus
- At the center of this scene is Jesus, who is kissed by Judas. This is the agreed signal that calls on the armed men (in the background on the right) to intervene and arrest Jesus (Judas betrayal). To the right of Jesus are the apostles, of whom Peter is about to put his sword back in its sheath after he has cut off the ear of the high priest's little servant standing before Jesus.
- Mockery and flagellation of Christ
- This topic spans two scenes:
- Christ sits on the ground with his hands tied and blindfolded and is beaten, spat at, mocked and mocked by three tormentors.
- Without outer clothing, he is tied to a stake and beaten with sticks, causing pain and bleeding wounds all over his body.
“And they spat in Jesus' face, hit him with their fists and mocked him:“ Well, you Messiah ! You are a prophet! Tell us who hit you? ""
- Jesus before Pilate
- This scene extends a short distance over to the west wall. It shows the interrogation before Pilate , who ultimately “washes his hands in innocence”.
“When Pilate saw that he was unable to achieve anything and that the tumult was only getting bigger, he had a bowl of water brought. For all to see, he washed his hands and said: “I am not responsible for the blood of this innocent man. You are responsible for it! "
The cycle of the Passion of Christ is then continued on the north wall and finally ends here on the south wall in the bottom row with the:
- Burial of Jesus
This last scene of the Passion is the burial on the day of his death. Joseph of Arimathea obtained from Pilate that he could bury Jesus. Here he lies undressed on the shroud he was supposed to be wrapped in. According to Jewish tradition, however, the embalming that was to take place after the Sabbath was still missing . The puncture wound on his right side is easy to see.
“He took Jesus from the cross, wrapped the dead man in a large linen cloth, and took him to a new rock grave. This all happened late Friday afternoon, just before the Sabbath began. With Joseph went the women who followed Jesus from Galilee. They watched the dead man put in the grave. "
Frescoes on and above the north wall
Katharinenkapelle, north wall (to the choir), position sketch
The three living and the three dead
- Legend of the three living and the three dead
- The legend from the Orient tells of three elegant young men who go hunting on horseback with dogs and falcons . In the forest they come across a cross, three coffins and three corpses whose half-decayed bodies are riddled with worms. One of the corpses holds a long staff in her hand, the second a hoe, and the third a shovel. They identify themselves as the fathers of the lords and admonish the living with the words: “quod fuimus estis, quod sumus eritis” (“ What you are, we were once. What we are, you will be. ”). This saying can be traced back over many centuries.
- The legend is also mentioned in Indian sources from the 6th century, in Arabic texts from pre-Islamic times and a mourning poem by Alcuin , the teacher of Charlemagne . The narrative is of great importance for the history of the dance of death, because it is the first time that speaking death figures appear. The parable also appears in the literature of the 13th century and manifests itself in France in around thirty wall paintings that were created around 1420. Sometimes, as in Antigny, it is associated with the Last Judgment and purgatory . Tradition reaches its peak in the 14th and 15th centuries, at the time of the great plague epidemics .
In the lower row, the Passion cycle, which begins on the south wall, is continued with three more scenes. However, it is interrupted by the large depiction of the Last Judgment:
Jesus with a crown of thorns & carrying the cross
Carrying the Cross
crucifixion
The Last Judgment (main scene)
The graves are opening (detail)
Peter receives the risen & soul weighing
Hell (buttresses, frontal)
Hell (buttresses, side)
- Jesus with the crown of thorns
- The left stripe shows Jesus in a red coat. The crown of thorns on his head is pressed tighter to his head by the tormentors with sticks.
“The soldiers brought Jesus to their quarters and called the whole crew together. Then they took away his clothes and put a red coat on him. They made a crown out of thorn branches and pressed it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand, kneeled down in front of him and sneered, "Long live the King of the Jews!" Everyone spat at him and hit him on the head with a stick. "
- Carrying the Cross
- The large scene above the ogival passage shows a section of the carrying of the cross. The victim carries the heavy cross half right on his right shoulder. Simon of Cyrene is forced to help him carry the heavy cross. Next to Jesus are two mercenaries armed with lances and clubs.
“But when they went out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon; they forced him to carry the cross for him. "
- The group is followed by two small, scantily clad men who are driven by two armed with a lance , battle ax and baton.
"Then two robbers are crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left."
- They are followed by four mourning women whose heads are backed with nimbs and above the scene you can see five white rectangular areas, the two of which on the far right contain Latin inscriptions. These inscriptions are very faded and it can be assumed that the other three areas once contained texts.
The cycle is now interrupted by a large scene depicting the Last Judgment. It then follows:
- Jesus on the cross
- This fresco is badly damaged and hardly any details can be seen. In the center is the all-towering cross, on which Christ hangs with arms outstretched and without a crown of thorns. According to old tradition, his gaze is directed calmly and almost horizontally, not inclined in a painful manner, as is customary in many works of the later Middle Ages.
- On the left is a group of women with nimbs. The person in their midst is presumably Mary. Below the cross are four people, some in motion, one of them, the one with the nimbus, is John. Behind the cross of Christ you can see a smaller cross on the left, that of a robber. That of the second thief can no longer be recognized.
“There were many women there who watched from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee and had served him; among whom was Mary Magdalene and Mary, James 'and Joses' mother, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee "
- The risen Christ presides over the Last Judgment
- This scene is the most extensive and extends from the top of the wall passage up to the top of the vault and includes parts of the buttress. The main scene is divided in half horizontally: the lower part shows the lowlands of the earth in which the graves will break open on Judgment Day and the dead will rise. A cemetery with the cemetery chapel can be seen specifically. Above it arches the kingdom of heaven in the middle of which the resurrected "judge of the world" is enthroned in an almost circular mandorla and shows his wounds. On the right, at the level of his head, there is an almost horizontally positioned sword, symbolizing the power of the judge. The Mother of God stands on his right hand, and the Apostle John on his left. The group is expanded in the background by the risen and saints. Angels blow on their shawms above and below John. The risen kneel under the group awaiting their judgment. To the left of Maria is the Archangel Michael who carries out the weighing of souls ( psychostasis ). With his left hand he holds up the scales, in whose bowls the souls of the risen are weighed. In his right hand he holds a cross that is part of the balance. Further to the left, Peter receives the elect and holds the key to heaven in his right hand.
- On the buttress below, the flames of hell blaze, in the center of which Satan resides on a stool with his legs apart. His feet, in the middle of which the unclothed damned must endure, are clawed. At the top you can see a gallows-like frame to which two people are tied; a third is hung upside down. The flames are also blazing on the right side of the pillar, under a large cauldron on a tripod. Several damned people languish close together in the cauldron, one of whom can be recognized as a monk by his tonsure. Above that, another devil figure takes hold of a sinner in order to thrust him into the jaws of a demon .
literature
- Thorsten Droste : Poitou, western France between Poitiers and Angoulême - the Atlantic coast from the Loire to the Gironde . DuMont Buchverlag , Cologne 1999, ISBN 3-7701-4456-2 .
- Description in French available in the church. Six-page brochure, PARVIS - 1998, rue de la Trinité 10, 86034 Poitiers: L'église Notre-Dame d'Antigny :
- Presentation (2 sheets)
- Les peintures du mur nord (2 sheets)
- Les peintures murales de la chapelle Sainte-Catherine (2 sheets).
Web links
Coordinates: 46 ° 32 ′ 11.8 " N , 0 ° 51 ′ 17.1" E