Ste-Segolène

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Tower facade on Place Jeanne d'Arc
Location on the Holy Cross Hill in the city center
Interior with a view of the apse

The St. Segolena Church ( French : Église Sainte-Ségolène ) is located in Metz on the Place Jeanne d'Arc (formerly German: Schmiedplatz) on the Holy Cross Hill (Colline Sainte-Croix), the highest elevation in the city center. The catholic Segolenakirche, which can be seen from afar , is one of the most impressive sacred buildings in the city of Metz due to its proportions, the towering pair of towers and its magnificent interior decorations, which are in the tradition of a Biblia pauperum . The church building consists of the local yellow Jaumont stone . The medieval parts of the church (crypt, apse) were listed in 1981 in the category "classé", the historicist parts of the church from the 19th century only in the category "inscrit" as " Monument historique ". In 2013 the entire church was placed under monument protection in the “classé” category .

Church location

On the strategically located place between the rivers Moselle and Seille the left Celts around 1000 BC. Down. The Romans built a forum here and the Merovingian kings resided in a palace. The town castles of the Metz patriciate were built here in the high and late Middle Ages . The square in front of the church, now dedicated to St. Joan of Arc, has a fountain . The legend has it that Jeanne d'Arc / Jeanne Armoises have stopped here in 1436 with her husband Robert of Armoises after them on the front of the death pyre had been rescued. The couple then traveled to Jaulny Castle in Lorraine , where they would have spent their twilight years.

Patronage

According to the anonymous vita , compiled from various saints' legends, Saint Segolena (Siglind von Troclar), whose church festival is celebrated on July 24th, was born in Albi in the middle or towards the end of the 7th century as the daughter of an Aquitanian nobleman. Her brother was the Metz bishop Sigebald . Historically, this is doubtful, but this supposed family connection is the reason for the veneration of the saints in Metz. Segolena's vita goes on to report that after the death of her husband - a nobleman with whom she had been married for ten years - she became the first abbess of Troclar , a monastery not far from Albi , which her father Chramiscus is said to have donated for this very reason. The saint also died in this place . The exact year of death is unknown. After her death, the veneration of Saint Segolena from Albi spread mainly in southwestern France . But there are foothills as far as Spain and, above all, for the reason mentioned, as far as Metz. A center of the Segolena cult can be identified here very early. It is possible that connections between the Metz diocese and southern France and, above all, the area around Albi also contributed to this. Starting from Metz, the veneration of Saint Segolena can also be proven in Echternach , Toul , Remiremont / Romberg and in Senones / Sens.

history

The Segolenakirche is first mentioned in documents in the year 912 in the copial book of the Gorze Abbey. Their existence is further confirmed by a mention in the list of Metz station churches from the middle of the 9th century. From the first church building, which was consecrated to Saint Segolena, only the crypt under today's choir has survived.

Around 1250, the Metz cathedral chapter , which had the patronage of this parish , had a new church built. The main choir , the two side choirs and the first three nave bays have been preserved from her to this day . The Gothic church was decorated with rich glass windows and frescoes . The theme was the legend " The three living and the three dead ", a story that has been encountered in small variations in many European countries since the 11th century and describes the meeting of three living and three dead. The legend emphasizes, entirely in the medieval understanding of the world, the futility of earthly life.

Between 1896 and 1898, under the direction of the architect Conrad Wahn, an extensive expansion of the church by three bays and a final west facade, which is based on the Marburg Elisabeth Church , was carried out. Here you destroyed the old facade from 1470 and the atrium to the church leader, with rich foliage decorated portal .

The three original nave bays were completely dismantled under the architect Conrad Wahn and rebuilt slightly modified using old material. The church's medieval frescoes, which were rediscovered in 1850, were destroyed during the neo-Gothic renovation. The remodeled church was inaugurated in 1898.

architecture

Exterior

  • Main portal

  • Gable of the facade with Christ, flanked by Peter and Paul

  • Main portal, left side

  • Main portal, right side

  • Ferreolus and Ferrutius portal

  • Holy Cross Portal

The Segolenakirche is a three-aisled basilica with a five-bay nave, which is adjoined by a two-aisled transept . The polygonal choir over a Romanesque crypt faces northeast and is flanked by two polygonal side choirs. An organ gallery rises above an inner vestibule , which is also continued over the side aisles. Three-part vaulted services sit on the capitals of the round pillars. The ribs and belts of the arcades are shaped like a pear rod. The aisles are illuminated by three-part windows, the upper aisles by two-part windows. In order to achieve an architectural contrast to the facade of the Metz Cathedral , architect Conrad Wahn designed a neo-Gothic two-tower facade with three stepped funnel portals , which have a rich range of sculptures . The two facade towers are based on the towers of the Marburg Elisabeth Church from the first half of the 14th century, however, in contrast to those in Marburg, the Metz tower helmets are slate-covered wooden structures.

The sculptures on the three portals were made by Auguste Dujardin (1847–1921), a sculptor who, together with his workshop, also made the figures for the Liebfrauen portal and the main portal of the Metz Cathedral. The figures on the left side of the main portal represent (from left to right) the holy Waldrada , who was the first abbess of the Metz Kosters St. Peter to the nuns . This is followed by St. Trudo, the cathedral treasurer of the Metz Cathedral and the Metz bishop Arnulf . On the right side of the portal you can see (from right to left) Hildegard , one of the wives of Charlemagne , the martyr saint Livarius and Saint Sigibert , King of Austrasia . According to legend, Livarius, depicted as a medieval knight in armor, was a nobleman and soldier from Metz. In the time of the Huns' storm , the saint is said to have fought the Huns and tried to convert them to Christianity. Attila , the king of the Huns, is said to have personally beheaded Livarius at Moyenvic . By a divine miracle Livarius lifted his head and climbed a hill, on which he was then buried. In the Metz district of Pontiffroy, a church ( St. Livier ) was dedicated to the saint , which is still in ruins today.

The lintel depicts the death of St. Segolena while her brother, accompanied by an acolyte , gives her the sacraments of the death. A nun adjusts the pillow for the saint lying on a bed so that she can receive communion with her upper body erect . Two kneeling monastery women with candlesticks watch the scene in awe. In the field above, two angels receive the saint in heaven. Segolena is shown in a nun's costume. In her right hand she carries a palm of victory, in her left the Bible . While the angel on the left is waving a censer , the angel on the right hands the crown of life to the saints . The bas-reliefs on either side of the main portal show scenes from the life of Saint Livarius on the left and scenes from the life of Saint Segolena on the right.

The main bronze portal of the Segolena Church, a work by the Nancy artist Eugène Vallin (1856–1922) from 1903, is dedicated to Saint Segolena. The left portal deals with the martyrdom of the holy brothers Ferreolus, who is considered Bishop of Besançon , and Ferrutius. In a group of figures, Ferreolus, clad in episcopal robes, is torn out the tongue by his pagan tormentors with a pair of pliers, while his brother Ferrutius, dressed as a deacon , has to watch the cruel goings on helplessly. The right portal shows the rediscovery of the holy cross of Christ by Saint Helena in Jerusalem . It refers to the name of the hill on which the church is located: the "Holy Cross hill".

According to the testimony of Bishop Ambrose of Milan and Eusebius , Helena traveled to Palestine in old age . In Jerusalem , around 326, Helena pointed out to Bishop Makarios that, according to tradition, the tomb of Christ must lie under a temple of Venus built by the Romans in the 2nd century . According to the legend , Helena initiated excavations at which the site of the Holy Sepulcher and the cross of Christ were found. Of the three crosses discovered during the excavations, the true cross of Jesus was identified according to medieval legends by raising the dead when the real cross was touched. The arched field of the portal shows St. Helena in imperial robes while worshiping the miracle of the resurrection. Above it, two angels hold up the holy cross on banks of clouds, who have reverently wrapped their hands in cloths.

The two side portals are reminiscent of two former chapels that were under the suzerainty of the parish and have disappeared over time: the first in the 16th century, the other during the French Revolution .

In the pediment between the towers are the statues of the blessing Jesus Christ with the book of life and those of the apostles Peter (heavenly key) and Paul (execution sword). Sculptures of the four evangelists stand under the canopies of the four buttresses on the facade . Numerous mythical creatures populate the facade.

Interior

  • Inner, left aisle, confessionals

  • Medieval stained glass in the left side chapel, around 1160

  • Mosaic devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

  • Mosaic The Last Judgment

  • Segolena statue in the right transept

  • Ferrutius statue in the right transept

  • Ferreolus statue in the right transept

Inside, the choir with the two side choirs is the only original part of the new Gothic building. The choir is a testament to the quality of Metz architecture from the middle of the 13th century. During this time, the nave of the cathedral, the nave of the parish church of St. Martin and the abbey church of St. Vincent were built in Metz. There are close links with the last two buildings mentioned. The distinctive choir of St. Segolena is a simplified version of that of the Abbey Church of St. Vincent, while the nave is clearly related to that of St. Martin.

The leaf capitals, which are located in the arcatures of the choir base of St. Segolena, are of an exceptionally high quality. The remains of medieval stained glass that can be seen in the northern side choir (Liebfrauenkapelle / Chapelle de la Sainte Vierge ) are also of great importance . Parts of it are considered to be the oldest remnants of Lorraine stained glass and thus also represent the oldest stained glass windows in France today. It is a crucifixion scene and some medallions depicting animals from the second half of the 12th century. The sun and moon in human form are shown in medallions above the arms of the cross . The pieces presumably come from the Romanesque predecessor of the current Segolenakirche. The remaining panes are partly from the 13th century, most of them can be dated to the 15th century. The disks from this period are foundations of the Metz citizen Jean Bataille († 1459) and his wife, who is sometimes identified as Colette Baudoche. It depicts scenes from the life of St. Sebastian , a proclamation of the Virgin Mary and Mary breastfeeding the baby Jesus . The most recent depiction is a 17th century Saint George .

The windows of the choir were made between 1848 and 1855 by Laurent-Charles Maréchal (1801–1887), a Metz artist and founder of the “École de Metz”. Depicted under neo-late Gothic canopies (from left to right) are Saint Margaret of Antioch , Saint Louis of France , Saint Peter , Saint Julia of Corsica , Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia , Saint King Sigibert , Saint Bishop Sigebald and his Holy Sister Segolena, St. Catherine of Alexandria , St. Charles Borromeo , as well as St. Alexius , St. Theresa of Avila and St. Paul of Tarsus . The walled-up window strip to the right of the Paulus window is decorated with a painting of the family tree of Jesus , beginning with the root Jesse and ending with the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus.

  • Glass window in the right aisle

  • The poor souls in purgatory are raised to Heaven to the Most Holy Trinity through the intercessory prayer of St. Mary and St. John the Baptist and the sacrifice of the priests

  • The Archangel Michael fighting the dragon of Satan; On the left the Ecclesia as an allegory of the victorious church; On the right the synagogues as personification of blind Judaism; In the tracery: The Archangel Michael as a helper in battle

  • The seven sacraments of the Catholic Church: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Sacrament of Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Sacrament of Orders, Marriage

  • Jesus and the children, The dialogue of the interest penny, Jesus with Mary and Marta, The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus and Nicodemus, Jesus and the rich young man, The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector

  • The miracle of wine at Cana, the calming of the storm, Jesus before Pilate, the twelve-year-old Jesus in the temple, the transfiguration of Jesus, Jesus gives Peter the keys of heaven, Jesus' entry into Jerusalem

The Michel-Frédéric Thiria glass painter's studio in Metz produced the original clapboard windows, while the Oidtmann studio in Linnich produced the original aisle windows.

The windows in the north aisle were redesigned in the post-war period after the Second World War by Arthur Schouler (1927–1984). Due to the proximity to the houses surrounding the church, the windows are heavily shaded and cannot develop their intense colors. Depicted are scenes from the life of Saint Segolena (below) and their correspondences in the life of Jesus Christ in the sense of following Jesus .

In the right transept, besides a relief dated 1437, on which the holy bishops Remigius of Reims and Leodegar of Autun are depicted, there are above all two remarkable sculptures from the mid-15th century depicting the saints Ferreolus and Ferrutius. A colored wooden sculpture of St. Segolena from the 16th century can be seen in the right side choir on the altar.

Most of the lavish wall paintings from the historicist era are works by the Lorraine artist Engel. The circular services of the aisles are painted with representations of saints. In the right aisle there are St. Catherine of Siena , St. Paul of the Cross , St. Felicitas and her sons , St. Helena and St. Leonhard of Limoges . The circular services in the left aisle show St. John Nepomuk , St. Philip Neri , St. Ignatius of Loyola , St. Francis de Sales and St. Jean-Marie Vianney . The pillars of the central nave show the twelve apostles Simon Petrus , Andreas , Jakobus the Elder , Johannes , Philippus , Bartholomäus , Thomas , Matthäus , Jakobus, the son of Alphäus , Judas Thaddäus , Simon Kananäus and Matthias .

The ceiling paintings of the side aisles deal with the invocation of Mary from the Lauretanian litany . The middle gallery front shows the proclamation of the birth of Jesus by the Archangel Gabriel to Mary using mosaic technique . The gallery front in the right aisle is provided with the depiction of the passage to the temple of Mary , in the left aisle it shows the coronation of Mary .

The vaults of the galleries show representations of the Old Testament prophets , the patriarchs and the Old Testament kings . God the Father is depicted above the inside of the main portal . To the left of him you can see the Fall of Man in Paradise, to the right of him the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden . The paintings in the left transept show the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper and its Old and New Testament prefigurations . The triforium zone of the central nave shows illustrations of the creed in large-format, rectangular pictures . The paintings in the church are all in a critical state of preservation. The depiction of the expulsion from paradise has largely been destroyed.

In the transept, mosaics on a gold background are attached to the end walls . They come from the Paris studio of the Italian mosaicist Giandomenico Facchina (1826–1903) and were installed in 1890. The left mosaic shows the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by those who suffer. The German translation of the Latin inscription ( Venite ad me omnes, qui laboratis et onerati estis et ego reficiam vos ) reads: “Come to me, all of you who are troublesome and burdened; I want to refresh you. ”( Mt 11:28  EU ). The right mosaic shows the Last Judgment . The German translation of the Latin inscription ( Sancte Michael archangele, defende nos in praelio, ut non pereamus in tremendo iudicio. ) Reads : "Holy Archangel Michael, defend ourselves in battle so that we do not perish in the terrible judgment."

The floor mosaic in front of the former high altar depicts two deer in a lush flower garden, feasting on the water of a fountain with a central, five-jet fountain and seven spouts. The Latin inscription (Quemadmodum desiderat cervus ad fontes aquarum ita desiderat anima mea ad te Deus) reads in German: "As the deer thirsts for fresh water, so my soul, God, thirsts for you." ( Ps 42,2  EU ) .

The altars, as well as a reduced copy of the Pietà by Michelangelo in the right aisle in a neo-early Gothic frame, were carved from marble . The German translation of the Latin stipe inscription (O vos omnes qui transitis per viam videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus) of the Pietà altar reads "O all of you who pass by, see whether a pain is like my pain" and originates from the Lamentations of Jeremiah , in which the prophet described the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BC. Sung about ( Klgl 1.12  EU ). The four angels flanking the marble niche of the Pietà hold banderoles with inscriptions from the Stabat mater , a medieval poem which the mother of Jesus in her pain for the crucified Jesus has as its central content. The four text passages are:

  • O quam tristis et afflicta (Oh how sad and miserable)
  • Quis non posset contristari (who can't be sad?)
  • Fac me tecum pie flere (Let me cry piously with you.)
  • Per te, virgo, sim defensus (By you, virgin, may I be protected.)

  • Left side chapel

  • Right side chapel

  • Floor mosaic of the apse

  • Relief of Saints Remigius and Leodegar in the right transept

  • Copy of Michelangelo's Pietà in the right aisle

organ

Inside with a view of the organ gallery, the Latin inscription of the mosaic of the organ gallery (Ave Maria gratia plena. Fiat mihi sec. Verbum tuum. Et verbum caro factum est.) Reads in German translation: “Greetings to you, Maria, full of grace. It will be done to me according to your word. And the word became flesh. "

The organ was manufactured by the Dalstein-Haerpfer company from Bolchen in 1890 and expanded in 1898. All the rest of the church furnishings come from the same period. A restoration followed in 1985 by François Delangue and an overhaul by Laurent Plet in 2001. The instrument has mechanical cone chests , the stop action is pneumatic. The disposition is designed as follows:

I Grand orgue C-g 3
Bourdon 16
Montre 8th'
Bourdon 8th'
Flute 8th'
Dolce 8th'
Viole de gambe 8th'
Praestant 4 ′
Pipe flute 4 ′
Duplicate 2 ′
Plein jeu IV 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Cornet V D 8th'
Basson 16 ′
Trumpets 8th'
Clairon 4 ′
tremolo
II Récit expressif C – g 3
Salicional 16 ′
Principal 8th'
Flûte bouchée 8th'
Salicional 8th'
Voix céleste 8th'
Flûte octaviante 4 ′
Nazard 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Trompette harmonique 8th'
Voix humaine 8th'
Basson et Hautbois 8th'
tremolo
Pedale C – d 1
Principal bass 16 ′
Contrebasse 16 ′
Soubasse 16 ′
Violoncello 8th'
Octavbass 8th'
Flute 4 ′
Bombard 16 ′

literature

  • Georges Boulangé: Notes archéologiques, Peintures murales de Sainte-Ségolène. In: L'Austrasie , 1853, pp. 197–201.
  • RS Bour: A tour of the Metz churches and chapels. In: A. Ruppel (Ed.): Lothringen and his capital, a collection of orienting essays. Metz 1913, pp. 431-432.
  • Ernest de Bouteiller: Restoration de l'église de Sainte-Ségolène. In: L'Austrasie , 1856, pages 121–126.
  • A. Huguenin: Notice historique sur l'église Sainte-Ségolène de Metz. In: Mémoires de la Société d'archéologie et d'histoire de la Moselle. Rousseau-Pallez, Metz 1859.
  • Niels Wilcken: From the Graully dragon to the Center Pompidou-Metz - Metz, a cultural guide. Merzig 2011, pp. 99-108.

Web links

Commons : Église Sainte-Ségolène de Metz  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ RS Bour: A tour of the Metz churches and chapels. in: A. Ruppel (Ed.): Lothringen and his capital, A collection of orienting essays. Metz 1913, pp. 431-432.
  2. ^ Niels Wilcken: From the dragon Graully to the Center Pompidou-Metz - Metz, a cultural guide. Merzig 2011, pp. 99-108.
  3. ↑ RS Bour: A tour of the Metz churches and chapels. In: A. Ruppel (Ed.): Lothringen and his capital, a collection of orienting essays. Metz 1913, pp. 431-432.
  4. ^ Niels Wilcken: From the dragon Graully to the Center Pompidou-Metz - Metz, a cultural guide. Merzig 2011, pp. 99-108.
  5. ↑ RS Bour: A tour of the Metz churches and chapels. In: A. Ruppel (Ed.): Lothringen and his capital, a collection of orienting essays. Metz 1913, pp. 431-432.
  6. ↑ Niels Wilcken: From the dragon Graully to the Center Pompidou-Metz. Metz, a cultural guide. Merzig, 2011, pp. 99-108.
  7. ^ Organ in Metz , accessed on June 3, 2018.

Coordinates: 49 ° 7 ′ 17 "  N , 6 ° 10 ′ 49"  E