St-Ferréol-de-la-Pave (Argelès-sur-Mer)

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Church St-Ferreol-de-la-Pave
St-Ferréol-de-la-Pave Church (from the east)

The pre-Romanesque church of St-Ferreol-de-la-Pave (also known as St-Alexandre-de-la-Pava ) is a church in the southern French coastal community Argelès-sur-Mer in the Pyrénées-Orientales in the region Okzitanien in the old cultural landscape of Roussillon . The church has been recognized as a monument historique since 1991 .

location

The above the river Massane at a height of about 160 m above sea level. d. M., in the French part of the Albères Mountains , is about 4 km (driving distance) southwest of the small town of Argelès-sur-Mer and only about 10 km (as the crow flies) from the border with Spain ( Catalonia ). The hermit chapel of St-Jérôme (Argelès-sur-Mer) is only about 1 km to the north-west .

Building history

No written documents are available on the history of the building of the church, which was originally consecrated to St. Alexander von Pausa . Art-historical-archaeological research has determined, however, that only the apse belongs to the 9th or 10th century - i.e. the pre-Romanesque period - whereas the eastern part of the barrel-vaulted nave dates from the 11th century. In the 18th century the church was extended to the west and widened slightly; the facade received a bell gable . In 1858 it was rededicated in St-Ferréol-de-la-Pave .

architecture

Exterior construction

View from the apse into the nave

From the outside, the church looks pretty uniform at first glance due to its quarry stone masonry . House stones can only be found in the building corners and on the west portal, which was built in the 18th century using older stones. On closer inspection, however, it becomes apparent that parts of the nave consist of regular layers of masonry, whereas the masonry of the apse, which is covered with stone shingles (lauzes), is largely disordered. There are individual herringbone patterns ( opus spicatum ) distributed throughout the church , which in rural regions are often said to have a disastrous ( apotropaic ) meaning.

  • Quarry stone masonry with herringbone pattern (south wall)

  • dto. (north wall)

Church interior

The apse, encased from the outside, is raised by several steps compared to the nave . Their inner plan is almost round; Together with the portal arch, the floor plan of a horseshoe arch results , which is also found in the triumphal arch between the nave and the apse. All walls are plastered and whitewashed; the window openings are unglazed.

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : St-Ferréol-de-la-Pave (Argelès-sur-Mer)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Église Saint-Alexandre-de-la-Pava, Argelès-sur-Mer in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  2. ↑ Map with altitude information

Coordinates: 42 ° 31 ′ 17.5 "  N , 2 ° 59 ′ 14.5"  E