St-Thibault (Saint-Thibault)
The rest of the former priory church of St-Thibault is located in the French parish of the same name, Saint-Thibault, in the Côte-d'Or department in the heart of the Auxois Burgundy countryside , a good 50 kilometers west of Dijon and almost 20 kilometers southeast of Semur-en-Auxois . Although today a torso , St-Tibault is considered a major work and jewel of Gothic architecture in Burgundy.
history
The priory was founded by Hughes de Thil (Hugo von Thil) around 1190 and was subordinate to the Abbey of Saint-Rigaud (Saône-et-Loire). The known sources do not provide any information about the first or later convent buildings.
The original Romanesque predecessor structure of the church is in a better position. The northern arm of the transept with its gable wall has been preserved from him as the oldest part of the building, in which the northern portal in the Gothic style was later installed.
The church patron, St. Theobald of Bec (Fri St-Thibault) was since 1127 as a monk in the Benedictine Abbey of Le Bec in Normandy proved to be elected in 1136 for Abbot, who then until his death in 1161 Archbishop of 1139 Canterbury was . He was followed by Thomas Becket .
In another source, St. Theobald von Marly (fr: Thibault Marly ; abbot of the Cistercian monastery Les Vaux-de-Cernay ; † 1247) is given as the church patron. (However, this does not apply if the following date of transfer is correct.)
After the relics of St. Theobald were transferred ( Translatio ) in 1240, the pilgrimages to his grave in Saint-Thibault began, the financial income of which, together with a donation from Duke Robert II of Burgundy in the third quarter of the 13th century, to the monks allowed the construction of a new, spacious monastery church in the current Gothic style to begin.
The north portal was installed as the first Gothic building project around 1250/60.
The northern transept chapel Saint-Gilles with six-part rib vaults was built around 1280/90 under the influence of Champagnesque early Gothic .
Documented ducal foundations from 1299 and 1323 refer to the construction of the choir , which allows its exact dating.
From this pilgrimage church, which was built over the grave of St. Thibault, only the high choir, the Saint-Gilles transept chapel and the north portal in the gable of the original north transept arm have survived after a massive collapse in 1712 and a fire in 1728.
Since the repair work was completed in 1753, the vacant lot has been filled by a modest, unadorned nave through which one can access the choir.
Since the dissolution of the priory in the French Revolution (1789–1799), in which the convent buildings presumably also disappeared, the building has served as the parish church of the parish of Saint-Thibault.
An extensive restoration took place in the 18th century, during which the chancel in the west was given a polygonal closure that opened up before collapsing into the nave. This gave it the character of a central building .
Buildings
Unfortunately there is no representation of the floor plan of the priory church in the known sources.
Outward appearance
Gable north transept arm
The main view of the church is its north side from the west of its center the gable of the transept arm of the previous church emerges, the oldest part of the church, the upper half of which is only preserved at a shallow depth. The verges of the gable wall are beveled at the top by about 40 degrees on both sides, which suggests a gable roof behind with the same inclination. Their lower ends go a short distance into the horizontal. The eastern edge of the gable wall is stiffened by a buttress flush with the gable wall, the upper cover of which is very steeply sloping. At the western edge of the gable wall, this stiffening is carried out by a slender tower with a square floor plan, which contains a spiral staircase, which can be recognized by the three loopholes. This is covered by a pyramid roof, the eaves of which are level with the lower end of the gable walkway. Between the stair tower and the gable wall, stone heads protrude from the surface of the wall, lined up one above the other at a distance, the task of which is unclear. In the smooth gable wall surface, one can see a slightly pointed wedge arch flush with the surface, which was supposed to relieve the originally Romanesque portal opening. A loopholes has been cut out just above the top.
North portal
The lavishly decorated, well-preserved north portal is the first Gothic post that was created around 1250/1260. The two rectangular portal openings are separated by a strong trumeau , the upper half of which is occupied by a statue of the church's patron, St. Thibault. It stands on a slender column, which is equipped with a profiled frame and base on an angular plinth . His head reaches over the lintel and is covered by a crown-like roof. His hairstyle and habit with a wide collar correspond to those of a monk. He is carrying a book in his left hand. The right that no longer existed was certainly raised to a gesture of blessing . A circular halo , due to a saint , appears behind his head .
The side walls of the portal spread wide outwards. At the level of the upper edge of the lintel, they are each covered by a vegetable-carved capital frieze with fighters and are divided into two storeys at about mid-height by a pedestal with cantilever profiles. The lower end of the walls are low plinths that protrude slightly outwards and are rounded on the outside. The lower storey is structured by a twin-panel arcade with deep, smooth backgrounds. Their slightly sharpened arches with tripods stand on slender pillars, which are equipped with profiled fighters and bases on angular plinths. The four statues on the second floor of the robes cannot be named. They stand in niches that are crowned by artistically decorated roofs. Maybe they are saints (without nimben?), On the left possibly King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba ? Perhaps it could also be a founder of the order. Slightly sharpened archivolt arches in at least four steps are placed on the fighters of the robes . The arches mainly contain figure sculptures, such as the clever and foolish virgins as well as Old Testament figures. In the outer arch they are interrupted by sections of round profiles. One arch is decorated with floral motifs.
The iconography of the tympanum and the lintel below it is significant for Gothic. While in the Romanesque this place basically showed representations of Christ, in the 13th century the iconography of Mary became more and more popular. The most popular topic was the Coronation of Our Lady. Right in the middle of the tympanum, Mary is crowned by her son, both seated. The scene is accompanied by angels standing sideways, the two outer long cone-like structures in their hands. Above the coronation, two angels swing censer. In the left part of the lintel you can see a death bed in which Mary is probably lying, over whom twelve people lean, presumably the disciples of Christ. In the opposite section of the lintel, the Assumption of Mary is probably depicted.
On both sides of the portal, bundles of columns are set up, each made up of four slender, semicircular columns, which are grouped around a core that is visible in the spaces in between. The columns end at the top in floral carved capitals with profiled struts at the level of the upper edge of the door lintel. Their profiled bases stand on angular plinths, which in turn rest on the aforementioned plinth. On top of the fighters you can see short pieces of cross ribs, possibly the arches of a former vault under a canopy in front of the portal.
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St-Gilles Chapel
Between the east wall of the north arm of the transept and the choir is the St-Gilles transept chapel, the construction of which is dated around 1270 and whose design is assigned to the style rayonnant determined by the crown land (Ile de France). The north wall of the chapel recedes significantly more than the depth of its buttresses compared to the transept gable. The north wall of the chapel is bent inwards twice at its east end and then hits the choir. Five sturdy buttresses with a rectangular floor plan divide this wall into four sections, which are well below the eaves level with plate covers. On top of the buttresses there are small, square turrets with pillars on the corners. They are crowned by slimmer and shorter hexagonal turrets, which are covered by steep pyramid roofs. Extensive gargoyles are let into the top of the buttresses just above the pillar covers. The roof of the chapel is steeply inclined and has the shape of a half gable roof. At its polygonal east end it is hipped to match the course of the wall. The profile of the eaves protrudes only slightly and hides a rain gutter that catches the rainwater from the roof surfaces and drains it off via the gargoyles. A cantilever profile surrounds the free wall sections and the buttresses at a height of around 2.50 meters. On this, in each wall section, there is an ogival window, the apex of which extends a short distance over the pillar covers. The tracery shows three triple passes in the arch area, which stand on two pointed lancet windows.
Choir head
In the east, the church is closed off by a rather high chancel with a decagonal floor plan, which from the outside gives the impression of a compact, block-like tower that has nothing to do with the lightness of the delicate internal structures. This is caused not least by the fact that the tracery are only present in the windows and the wall surfaces remain without structures. In addition, the partially double-shell construction cannot be seen here. The massive buttresses on the corners also contribute to this heaviness. A total of ten buttresses, which are rectangular in plan, divide the cube into ten slim wall sections, of which the three western sections are smoothly closed above the adjoining roof surfaces. When the former Gothic nave connected there, the sections were largely open. The remaining seven sections are divided into four "floors" each by cantilever profiles and parapet covers. On the fourth floor of each wall section there is an ogival window opening that takes up almost the entire width between the pillars. Your parting stays well below the eaves. The window openings in the two ship-side wall sections are significantly narrower than the others. The five windows of the apse are structured by a rather complicated tracery. At the top of the arch there is a six-pass that surrounds a circular ring and is enclosed by a large circular ring. The lower section of the tracery is divided into four pointed lancets of equal width. The outer ones extend up to the arches of the window opening and to the outer circle of the six-pass. The two inner ones have a small circular ring, which is covered by a pointed arch. The two narrower window openings show a tracery with two lancets of equal width, which with their pointed arches carry a three-pass which is enclosed by a circular ring. The completely closed third floor is located under these windows. It is almost the same height as the second floor, which is completely opened by two rectangular windows. In the upper area there is a three-pass, which is covered by a pointed arch. The lower area is divided vertically into two sections, each covered by an arch of half a three-pass. The lower and second highest floor is completely closed again. The buttresses, which are rectangular in plan, do not change their width over their entire height, the double recesses on their outside are covered with an outward sloping edge. At the level of the upper edge of the second floor there is a cantilever profile. The tops of the buttresses are covered with cantilevered stone slabs on three sides, which are inclined outwards by about 45 degrees. They end just below the corbels of the eaves. On their upper sides, a good two meters high, simple and slim wall pillars protrude. A gargoyle protrudes in the middle from each of the undersides. The profiled and protruding eaves cornice is supported by a row of rounded corbels and again conceals a rain gutter that drains the rainwater over the gargoyles. The drip edge of the lower stones of the roofing is a little higher than the eaves. The roof, which is covered with stone slabs, has the shape of a gable roof in the middle area, reaching over two wall sections, and is rounded off with three triangular roof areas at the western and eastern ends.
Bell tower
To the west of the gable wall of the former northern arm of the transept stands a slender bell tower with a square floor plan, which is almost as high as the east choir. The sources do not provide any information about him or his dating. In any case, it is more recent and may have been built around 1753 together with the repair work after the collapse and the replacement of the nave with a simple new building.
Other parts of the building
On the west side of the current building stands the aforementioned bell tower on the left, behind which the outer, upper part of the northern arm of the transept peeps out. The former extended to the former crossing, the intersection of the nave with the transept and beyond into the southern arm of the transept. In the western extension of the choir there is a simple and weakly lit nave, the width of which probably corresponds to that of the Gothic, but also the Romanesque nave. Its height and probably also its length do not match. Between the current nave and the extension of the west wall of the transept arm, there is now a wall on which the contour of a pointed wedge arch can be seen. That could perhaps have been the earlier passage from the north aisle into this transept arm. On a photo of the shrine of St. Theobald you can see the beginning of such an arch in the St-Gilles chapel in the wall to the north arm of the transept.
Interior
St-Gilles Chapel
The interior of the St-Gilles transept chapel is usually locked and cannot then be visited. A more detailed description must therefore be omitted here.
It is known, however, that the Saint-Gilles transept chapel extends over two bays and is covered by a six-part ribbed vault. Its design reveals the influence of the champagnesque early Gothic. In addition, the shrine of the bones of St-Thibault is placed in it. From the outside it can be seen that it is illuminated by four rather high, ogival windows with Gothic tracery and that it has a polygonal apse.
Choir head
The architectural significance of the church is based on the interior of the polygonal choir , begun around 1300, which brings the high Gothic tendency of the wall to dissolve into glazed surfaces to a unique climax. From the outside it is not visible. In close examination of St-Benigne, the cathedral of Dijon , the most daring and statically risky achievement of the Burgundian Gothic was created. The rod-thin services shoot up over the cross ribs in the vaulted area with a unique steepness. A four-story wall elevation develops between them, the individual zones of which appear almost dematerialized in their almost complete dissolution in filigree tracery.
The double shell of the wall sections begins at the level of the apse floor. In the lower area of the first floor there is an outer and an inner closed shell. It would also be conceivable that this space is filled with masonry. The inner wall surface is decorated with four slender blind arcades per wall section, the arches of which cover three passages. Immediately on the apex of these arches you can see the floor of a first walkway, which can hardly be seen in photos. You can recognize it by the rectangular passages in the width of the walkway on the side of the pillars behind the services, which are slightly higher than the window parapet, which here forms the outer shell. The inner one consists only of the tracery rods that are continued vertically from bottom to top. The first floor, like the outside, ends on the upper edge of the window parapet. The second floor consists of the ribbon of windows as the outer shell with the tracery described there. The inner shell also remains open in this area. In continuation of the vertical tracery bars, tracery develop in pointed arches that do not match those of the windows. At this height there is therefore a slightly confusing sight of the radian tracers, which change depending on the perspective.
The second floor is covered by a sturdy floor of a second walkway, the visible side of which is profiled three times. The walkway forms the third floor and is modeled on a triforium , with a closed outer shell and an open inner shell made of the vertical bars of the tracery, which are raised from the ground and behind which parapet panels are erected. The gaps between them are covered by pointed arches at the top, the gussets of which remain open. There are also openings in the pillars of this walkway. The third floor is closed on the top by a double-profiled cantilever cornice. The two-shell structure is completed with this storey.
The inner wall shell with its coherent tracery curtain summarizes the individual zones of the wall structure, which is characterized by the rhythmic alternation of closed and glazed areas.
The fourth floor is the highest and last. The pointed arched windows fill the entire wall sections down to the arches of the vaults and create the particularly high light intensity in the choir. The tracery has already been described in the section on external appearance. Presumably the windows are located between the outer and inner shell below. Here too, as in all floors, the position of the vertical measuring rods is adopted.
Since the restoration of the 18th century gave the choir a polygonal finish in the west , the choir has had the character of a central building (see photo at the beginning of the article). In this end, a slender, round-arched passage opens into today's nave, through which the congregation has contact with the choir and the main altar.
Furnishing
Not only the architecture, but also the furnishings of the church are of exceptional quality. In the apse is a wooden, polychrome succinct altarpiece of about 1330 with accompanying stone antependium from the 14th century. In the reredos, a scene of the crucifixion is flanked by depictions from the life of St. Theobald. The depiction of St. Theobald in the antependium correlates with the crucifixion scene .
The crucifix hanging above the altar is dated around the middle of the 14th century. The Eucharistic dove hung freely in the room dates from the 16th century. The tomb of Hugos von Thil, the founder of the priory, with his reclining figure dates from the end of the 13th century.
In the chapel of Saint-Gilles, a wooden shrine on four legs is exhibited, which is said to contain the bones of St. Theobald.
Mention should also be made of several statues and reliquary busts from the 13th to 16th centuries in the church as well as reliquaries from the 13th to 15th centuries in the church treasury.
Altarpiece
Retable detail
Crucifix in the choir
Eucharistic dove in the choir
Shrine of St. Theobald
Virgin with the child
See also
literature
- Thorsten Droste : DuMont art travel guide: Burgundy . DuMont Buchverlag, Cologne 2003, ISBN 3-7701-4166-0 , p. 226-227 .
- Klaus Bussmann : DuMont Art Travel Guide: Burgundy . DuMont Buchverlag, Cologne 1990, ISBN 3-7701-0846-9 , p. 222-223 .
Web links
Coordinates: 47 ° 22 ′ 20.8 " N , 4 ° 28 ′ 18.7" E