St-Saturnin (Montesquieu-des-Albères)
The small church of Saint-Saturnin in Montesquieu-des-Albères , in Catalan Església Sant Sadurní de Montesquiu d'Albera , is one of the gems of Romanesque architecture in Roussillon .
location
The parish church is located a little below today's town center in the middle of the old cemetery of Montesquieu-des-Albères . Since the church and cemetery were usually located in the center of a place in the High Middle Ages, there is a presumption that the place was originally lower and only later gradually moved towards the protection of the slightly higher castle.
Building history
The church was consecrated by Bishop Bernat von Elne on June 10, 1123. In the 15th century additions and alterations were made (side chapels, tower floor).
architecture
Exterior construction
The exterior of the small parish church impresses with its simple but balanced proportions. In the east there is a semicircular apse, each with double blind arcades; these are separated by pilaster strips .
The completely unadorned west side is dominated by a bell tower, which - as can be read from the stones - was originally a simple bell gable , which - perhaps for reasons of stability and probably not until the 15th century - was extended to a full floor. The west portal without a tympanum is framed by carefully hewn white marble stones; an overlay arch shows the same stone material. Otherwise, the facade and tower - with the exception of the corner stones - consist of only roughly hewn stones as can be found everywhere in the area. The two door leaves are made of oak and still have their artistically crafted medieval iron fittings with spiral motifs.
inner space
The single nave interior of the church is only lit by a few small windows. The apse is slightly higher than the barrel-vaulted nave. The side chapels are from a later period.
Three simple grave inscriptions from 1298, 1324 and 1374 are kept inside the church.
meaning
The church of Montesquieu-des-Albères is one of the rare (preserved) examples of a medieval Romanesque parish church in the Pyrenees.
literature
- Géraldine Mallet: Églises romanes oubliées du Roussillon. Les Nouvelles Presses du Languedoc, 2003 ISBN 2-85998-244-2
View from the north
View from the south
In the background Banyuls-dels-Aspres
portal
Grave inscription for Pierre Bergoïoni (13th century)
Grave inscription for Arnaud Guillaume de Montesquieu (1324–1374) and his mother (+ 1324)
Grave inscription for Guillaume Joer (+ 1298).
Tomb for Guillaume Joer (+ 1298).
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Web links
Coordinates: 42 ° 31 '13 " N , 2 ° 52' 46.6" E