Sogn Gieri Church (Rhäzüns)
The church Sogn Gieri ( Rhaeto-Romanic in the idiom Sursilvan for St. Georg ) is a small church outside the village of Rhäzüns in the Swiss canton of Graubünden . It dates from the 10th century and is owned by the parishes of Bonaduz and Rhäzüns. Their patronage is April 23rd. Sogn Gieri is of particular importance as a rare example of a fully painted medieval hall church north of the Alps.
According to a legend, St. George is said to have crossed the Rhine by jumping on horseback in the 4th century while fleeing from adversaries. As a thank you for the heavenly assistance, the knight had the church built on this site.
location
Sogn Gieri stands on a small, wooded hill that rises on the high plateau directly on the steep bank of the Hinterrhein . The church can be reached on foot in about ten minutes from the village. Access by car is not possible.
construction
The church dates from the 10th century and is first mentioned in the first half of the 12th century. It consists of roughly plastered quarry stone masonry, the corners are reinforced with tuff stones . The nave and choir are combined under a gable roof. A covered, double-flighted staircase leads to the entrance under the eastern gable. On the north side of the nave there are two Romanesque arched windows, on the south side there are three segmented arched windows and the walled-in original main portal. The fragment of a wall painting dates from the first half of the 14th century. It shows the dragon fight of St. George and comes from the Waltensburg master . The tower, which is almost square in plan, is covered with a pointed helmet. On the southern wall of the choir there are remains of a large depiction of Christophorus, also by the Waltensburg master.
Building history
The first documented mention of Sogn Gieri comes from the year 960. Here it is mentioned as a fort church : aecclesiam videlicet in castello Beneduces et Ruzunnes (Bonaduz and Rhäzüns). A second mention ( ecclesia S. Georgii ) comes from the first half of the 12th century.
Excavations from 1961 and 1962 indicate a hall church from 750 to 850 with an apse and a walled forecourt. In the first millennium, the apse was moved further east. In the 12th and 13th centuries the ship was extended to the west.
At the beginning of the 14th century a late Gothic choir was added. The tower was not added until the 14th or 15th century. This is evidenced by a window inside the church that today leads into the tower. In the 16th century the church was raised and the entrance moved from the south to the west side. The last major structural changes date from the 18th century: the church ceiling was renewed in 1731.
Bells
Sogn Gieri carries two bells. The first bell has a diameter of 89.5 cm and a weight of approx. 440 kg and is tuned in c ". It bears the inscription (bell pictures are used as separators):" o - REX - GLORIE - VENI - CUM - PACE. LUCAS - MÄRCUS - MATHEUS - IOHS - ET - VERBUM - CARO - FCM - E (S) T - ANO - DNI - MCCCCLXV (1465) »The second bell dates from around 1350. It has a diameter of 72.5 cm, weighs approx. 240 kg and is tuned to dis ". Half-figures of angels are depicted on it. It bears the inscription: "LUCAS -MARCUS - MATEUS - JOHANES - GEORGIUS". It is not known who cast the bells.
The inner
room
The space above an irregular rectangle is illuminated by high Romanesque slits of light, of which the northern one is original. The flat slat ceiling is by Jakob Moron and dates from 1731 (inscription: MIMor 1731). The battle of St. George against the dragon is shown in the middle. The blue ceiling, originally covered with stars, was vacuumed during the restoration in 1961/1962. The choir behind the arch has a cross vault with a disc-shaped keystone.
Paintings
Sogn Gieri is a rare example of a fully painted medieval hall church north of the Alps.
The well-preserved Gothic frescoes in the choir with their strong colors are partially covered by the winged altar. They are attributed to the Waltensburg master and date from around 1330 to 1340. The somewhat paler frescoes on the side walls come from another unknown painter of the 14th or 15th century, the so-called Rhäzünser master. All frescoes show scenes from the Old and New Testament. This “biblia paupera”, the Bible for the poor , brought the biblical stories closer to people who were ignorant of reading in this way. One of the most striking paintings is St. George's dragon fight by the Waltensburg master on the north wall, which is reminiscent of the depictions in the Manessian song manuscript . The Rhäzüns master has shown George's jump over the Rhine gorge below. Below right the coat of arms of the Lords of Rhäzüns.
The frescoes by Waltensburger testify to the same courtly culture as it appears in the knight reps and minnesong. The torture tortures of St. George, described drastically, stand in contrast to the elegant saints and the noble knights. A special feature are the evangelists depicted as angels in the main fields of the cross vault.
Furnishing
The late Gothic winged altar from 1522 comes from southern Germany. When closed it shows an adoration of the kings, when open it shows Saints Catherine and Dorothea, and on the right, Saints Laurentius and James the Elder. Inside there is a Madonna, on her left John the Baptist and St. George, on the right St. Martin and Felix. The original Felix figure has been replaced by a smaller, late Gothic figure. The shrine sky above the figures was painted around 1550 with the coat of arms of the Lugnez donor family Solèr, flanked by the painted St. George on the left and St. Lucius on the right. The chest-shaped pulpit is the work of Heinrich and Georg Moron and dates from 1659. The knee benches, consisting of simple beams, have stood on the lime mortar floor since 1661.
A unique example of a Biblia Pauperum has been preserved in the Sogn Gieri Church , a complete illustration of the Bible that begins with creation and ends with the Last Judgment.
gallery
Ceiling painting
Winged altar
North side with pulpit
literature
- Armon Fontana: The churches in Rhäzüns. Swiss art guide. Bern 2004.
- Albert Wyss: Rhäzüns. Swiss Art Guides series. Bern 1986.
- Erwin Poeschel : The art monuments of Graubünden. Volumes 1 and 4, Volume 3, pp. 43-59
- Dieter Matti: Old Pictures - Newly Interpreted, Church Art in the Passland , Volume 3; Desertina, Chur 2012, ISBN 978-3-85637-370-2 , pp. 23-26
Web links
- Sogn Gieri church (Rhäzüns) on the ETHorama platform
- Sogn Gieri on the website kirchen-online.com
- Sogn Gieri on the website of the parish Rhäzüns
- Church of St. Georg at www.graubuendenkultur.ch
Coordinates: 46 ° 48 ′ 12 " N , 9 ° 24 ′ 32" E ; CH1903: 750 384 / one hundred and eighty-five thousand four hundred sixty-two