Orcival
| Orcival | ||
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| region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | |
| Department | Puy-de-Dôme | |
| Arrondissement | Clermont-Ferrand | |
| Canton | Orcines | |
| Community association | Dômes Sancy Artense | |
| Coordinates | 45 ° 41 ′ N , 2 ° 51 ′ E | |
| height | 780-1,509 m | |
| surface | 27.82 km 2 | |
| Residents | 243 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 9 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 63210 | |
| INSEE code | 63264 | |
 Orcival (in the middle of Notre-Dame d'Orcival) |
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Orcival is a French municipality with 243 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the department of Puy-de-Dôme in the region Auvergne Rhône-Alpes about 40 kilometers southwest of Clermont-Ferrand , in the depths of a valley between the Dore - and Dôme mountains.
Along with Clermont-Ferrand, Orcival is the most important pilgrimage site in Auvergne with a Romanesque church that is considered one of the most beautiful in the region. The place is on the edge of the mountain range of Monts Dore . Most of the houses in the village are covered with the traditional slate clapboard.
Notre-Dame church
The Notre-Dame d'Orcival church , which was built in the 12th century on the site of a previous building and consecrated to Our Lady , and which was elevated to a basilica minor in 1894 , is part of the regional Auvergnatian Romanesque . But that does not mean that it belongs to the architectural style of a basilica .
In Orcival, where there was a pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary as early as the 6th century - probably at an earlier Celtic place of worship - monks built a first church in the 7th century, which was destroyed by the Normans towards the end of the 9th century . The present church dates from the first half of the 12th century and was by monks from the Abbey of La Chaise-Dieu as a small Benedictine - Priory founded; This sacred building was completed in 1166. In the 13th century , the Pope elevated the church to a collegiate church ; 26 canons formed the college. The Pope made it a basilica on July 17, 1894.
The church is a masterpiece of Auvergnat Romanesque: The building offers itself as a kind of pyramid is How stages stacked or disgusted are the barrel. Nave , the kreuzgratigen aisles , the transept with the dome , after the choir with the essential for the pilgrims ambulatory and the crypt below for keeping relics . The pyramidal character is also clearly visible on the outside: in the east you can see the apsidal chapels arranged in a radial pattern , the apse of the transept protruding beyond it , then the intermediate step to the tower, the massif barlong , and finally the octagonal crossing tower itself, tapering in two steps to the top (the Eight was considered a symbolic number for the resurrection ).
At first glance, the building, which initially appears to be defensive, reveals numerous decorative elements, especially on the east side facing the city. The incrustations of different colored stones take up models from the Gallo-Roman era. With its ambulatory and numerous chapel extensions, this east building has a very sophisticated design. Here, too, the multi-stepped window zones are striking, which spread a fascinating light inside. The exposure is supposed to symbolize the path of man from darkness to light, from earth to heaven: The vestibule is relatively dark (1 window), there are 7 windows in the main nave, 16 in the transept and 22 in the choir, which corresponds to the number of letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
There is a legend about the unusual location of this 12th century church , as told almost regularly at places of pilgrimage. The Virgin is said to have appeared at a spring to refresh herself. From then on, the water proved to be miraculous and attracted many pilgrims. One day the statue of Mary, which is still venerated today, is said to have been found nearby. The statue was taken to a nearby church, but kept returning to the place where it was found, an unmistakable sign that a church should be built here. Construction began, but the walls kept collapsing. In anger, the builder finally took his hammer, hurled it away, and began his last attempt where he fell. This time the walls held up and have survived the centuries to this day.
The bell tower was modified in the 15th century after an earthquake . Its top with the cock, destroyed during the revolution as an expression of ecclesiastical authority , was later reconstructed.
Notre-Dame d'Orcival
In the choir of Notre-Dame d'Orcival
Choir window with St. Mark's lion
Equipment of the basilica:
- "Vierge en Majesté", the pilgrimage picture from 1170 - hidden during the revolution and therefore preserved - of an enthroned Madonna and Child made of walnut wood , set with silver and gilded silver .
- Capitals with figurative and ornamental decoration, e.g. B. the capital of the rich fool ("Fol dives")
- Romanesque decorative metal fittings at the "Porte Saint-Jean"
- Colored relief of Jesus standing in the Jordan in the well sanctuary of the church
- Way of the Cross from terracotta (1980); Window from 1980
- Baroque altar, erected in the vestibule gallery in 1898
More Attractions
- the Cordès castle from the first half of the 18th century, from a castle emerged of the 15th century, its castle garden was by Andre Le Notre designed
- "Tomb of the Virgin Mary", where an image of Mary from a church that was abandoned was found
- "Prisoner's Cross" on the hill behind the basilica, erected in 1945 by prisoners of war
- Chapel at a miraculous spring, from the 16th century, greatly changed in the 19th century
literature
- Bernard Craplet: Auvergne romane. 6e édition. Zodiaque, Saint-Léger-Vauban 1992, ISBN 2-7369-0191-6 , pp. 37-81.
- Ulrich Rosenbaum: Auvergne and Massif Central. Voyages of discovery from Clermont-Ferrand over the volcanoes and gorges of the Massif Central to the Cevennes National Park. 7th edition. DuMont, Cologne 1989, ISBN 3-7701-1111-7 .
- Notre-Dame Basilica of Orcival. (available in the church) leaflet no year
- Notre-Dame d'Orcival, Puy-de-Dôme (= Images du Patrimoine. No. 152). Étude du patrimoine auvergnat, Clermont-Ferrand 1995, ISBN 2-905554-10-X .
