St-Martin (Clamecy)
The former collegiate church of Saint-Martin in Clamecy ( Nièvre department ) is an important Gothic building in Burgundy .
A first church has been attested since the 8th century. The collegiate monastery was founded in 1075 by Viscount Guy de Clamecy. At the beginning of the 13th century, a new building was started using parts of a previous building from the 12th century. At the beginning of the 16th century the west facade and the bell tower added to the south followed.
The church is a three-aisled basilica with no transepts and a rectangular choir with a gallery. The rectangular ambulatory is a rarity in the 13th century and may be influenced by the Cistercian architecture (cf. Cîteaux ). The main nave is divided into three floors with side aisle arcades on round pillars, every second of which is cantoned, triforium and upper aisle with the corridor typical of Burgundy (“diaphane” wall). The beginning of the choir is marked by a grandstand spanning the central nave. It comes from Viollet-le-Duc and replaces a 16th century gallery. The wall elevation is most closely related to the choir of Auxerre Cathedral , but can also be compared to Dijon or Semur-en-Auxois . In the eastern yokes, the window openings are still shaped as simple lancet arches, tracery windows only appear in the western yokes.
When the west facade was built, the nave was extended by a yoke to the west. The rich flamboyant facade contrasts with the relatively unadorned exterior of the 13th century. During the French Revolution, the portal was stripped of its figural decorations, except for the figures in the archivolts. 32 scenes from the legend of St. Martin. The four-story square bell tower corresponds to that of Nevers Cathedral .
Web links
- The Collégiale Saint-Martin de Clamecy
- Collégiale Saint-Martin (interior photos)
Coordinates: 47 ° 27 '36 " N , 3 ° 31' 9.2" E