St-Julien (Brioude)
The former collegiate church of Saint-Julien stands in the middle of the formerly fortified town of Brioude in the French region of Auvergne in the Haute-Loire department and bears the title of a minor basilica . The city has 6,820 inhabitants (as of 1999). It is located about 70 km south of Clermont-Ferrand in the Massif Central on a terrace above the Allier River . The area of the former county around Brioude is called Brivadois , after the former Celtic name of the city of Brivas.
It is one of the most famous, historical and beautiful churches in Auvergne, although it does not belong to the group of “main churches of Basse Auvergne” or Limagne . The main churches of Limagne were built according to a strictly adhered plan, without interruption in one go. In contrast, the construction work in Brioude lasted a good century, from the beginning of the Romanesque building period to the end. Three to four generations of builders followed one another. The last master builder, that of the choir head , intentionally deviated from the designs of his talented predecessor from the 11th century, who built the splendid pillars of the central nave and the narthex . A subsequent increase in the central nave extends into the Gothic era by another century. Saint-Julien has an originality with an architecture rich in contrasts outside the general norm. The brickwork alone is evidence of very different types of stone in terms of texture, grain and color, which at the same time harmonize perfectly. Diversity is their law.
history
Ancient / pre-Christian times
The city of Brioude was already a modest settlement in Celtic times (from 700/600 BC) and was then called Brivas , which later became Brioude . It was at the intersection of important roads with a bridge over the Allier . The Celtic tribe of the Arverni who settled here , whose name can be found in that of the region, had its capital in Nemossos , today's Clermont-Ferrand .
After Caesar had defeated the Gauls under Vercingetorix in Alesia ( Burgundy ) in 52 BC , the Romans also occupied the land of the arverna civitas (from the 1st to the 3rd century), which became a Gallic province. One speaks of the Gallo-Roman epoch.
Migration period / Middle Ages
Martyrdom of Saint Julian
What is suspected today about the martyrdom of Saint Julian was taken from a book Passio sancti Juliani , written in the 6th century , in which, as in many saints' lives of the time, the edifying side was given priority at the expense of historical precision. After this Passion , the Christian Julianus served as a soldier in Vienne under the Tribune Ferreolus , who was also of Christian faith. He foresaw the pursuit of Julianus and advised him to flee, who then withdrew to the Auvergne. However, the soldiers chasing him soon found him and beheaded him. The executioners washed their heads in the spring near Brioude. She has been revered to this day. This is said to have happened at Brioude at the beginning of the 4th century, more precisely in the year 304. The executioner brought the head back to Vienne to present it to Ferreolus before he too was martyred. His body was buried together with the head of Julianus. When the relics were later transferred , the head of Julian was found.
His body, which was left in Brioude, was buried by the two elders Arcons and Ilpize in the suburbium of Brioude, the burial place of the village, near the thoroughfare. As thanks for their mercy, they are said to have miraculously regained their youth.
This is what the legend of the Passion tells us .
Their bones were buried very close to Julianus and later belonged to the relics of the church.
Place of pilgrimage from the late 4th to 6th centuries
Soon after the conversion of the inhabitants of Brioude and its surroundings to Christianity, the veneration of the martyrs' grave of St. Julian experienced a heyday.
On behalf of a Spanish lady, a martyrdom was erected over the grave at the end of the 4th century (?) In fulfillment of a vow that she had made to save her husband. The building was covered by a vault and was large enough for masses to be read.
The Holy Germanus of Auxerre visited the grave 431 in Brioude. When it was not possible to give him a name day of Saint Julian there, he set a date. Avitus , who came from Auvergne and was one of the last Roman emperors, asked to be buried next to the martyr in 456.
In the last third of the 5th century, a first basilica was built over the small building above the grave, which Gregory of Tours called "large" after a visit. According to him, the tomb of St. Julian was on the other side of the altar. Victorius , the governor of Auvergne on behalf of the Visigothic King Eurich , had it decorated with columns.
The content of the preceding paragraphs was handed down by Gregory of Tours (538 or 539 to 594). He came from the Auvergne and was Bishop of Tours and an important historian of the 6th century. He made several pilgrimages to Brioude and dedicated the book Liber de passione et virtutibus sancti Juliani to the martyr . In addition to numerous seemingly naive stories and lively details, it contains the history of the pilgrimage in the 6th century. Gregory reports that the pilgrims came to Brioude in such large flocks that the church building at that time could not contain them all. During Lent each year, a procession on foot moved from Avernis, the name of today's Clermont-Ferrand , to Brioude, about 70 kilometers away. It was led by the bishop ( Namatius ?) In fulfillment of a vow made during an epidemic.
The church in the middle of the pilgrimage site also served as a place of refuge for persecuted people who sought protection from the arbitrariness of the mighty, from invaders, from epidemics and others. Gregory reports that King Thierry confirmed this special right after 532.
Collegiate chapter Saint-Julien in the 9th and 10th centuries
The church from the last third of the fifth century existed for 400 years. It was repaired at the beginning of the 9th century at the instigation of Berengar , Count des Brivadois , presumably to be equated with the Count of Toulouse , after a devastating invasion by the Saracens .
At around the same time, he founded a collegiate chapter or collegiate foundation in Brioude . This was confirmed soon afterwards, in 825, by Ludwig the Pious . The canons of Saint Julien probably received the sovereignty of Brioude at that time, which they retained until after the revolution , and the title of Counts of Brioude .
The canons had the right to property but lived in community and shared the refectory and dormitory . Their celebration of mass was similar to that of the Benedictines . The chapter received the privilege of immunity in 836 from Pippin I of Aquitaine and in 874 from Charles the Bald .
Because of its worldly power, combined with considerable wealth, the chapter was said to be greedy. Secular and lay people assumed the function and title of abbot. Quite a few of them showed diligent efforts in the performance of their duties. Thus, under Frotier, Archbishop of Bordeaux, the chapter's fortunes were expanded, as was the case under William I , known as the Pious, Count of Poitou and later Duke of Aquitaine and founder of Cluny . He was secular abbot in Brioude from 893 to 918 and was buried in the previous building of the Saint-Julien collegiate church.
With his financial support, a new, significantly larger church was built, as the old basilica had become too small to accommodate the pilgrims. The text of his funerary inscription suggests: Gaudet Brivata tanti duce nobilitata : "Brioude is pleased to have been embellished by such a ruler".
This early Romanesque basilica was the predecessor of today's. It was torn down after barely more than a hundred years of existence, in order - beginning around 1060 - to give way to a barely larger new building. However, it was not completely demolished, but its outer walls were partially integrated into the lower areas of today's nave , " transept ", narthex and ambulatory choir .
11th and 12th centuries
The 11th and 12th centuries were the absolute heyday of pilgrimages, especially in south-west France, where the great streams of pilgrims to St. James came together. There are no testimonies from this time, such as those from Gregory of Tours.
In any case, Brioude is on a side route of the Way of St. James , roughly halfway between the main routes of Via Lemovicensis (start in Vézelay ) and Via Podiensis (start in Le Puy-en-Velay ). The actual heyday of the pilgrimage to St. James took place in the first half of the 12th century, in which hundreds of thousands of pilgrims traveled south on the main and secondary routes.
These pilgrimage movements declined significantly in the middle of the 12th century, beginning with the "bickering" between France and England over Aquitaine . The Hundred Years War brought a dramatic slump in pilgrimages in the southwest of present-day France, which only revived in our times.
When the last large new building was conceived at the beginning of the 11th century, the impending boom in pilgrimage movements to Spain was felt, from which additional income was expected for the grandiose project while maintaining the usability of the church. During this time Odilo von Cluny and Robert von Turlande were accepted into Brioude, but they both soon moved on: St. Odilo became abbot of Cluny , and Saint-Robert founded the La Chaise-Dieu abbey named after him .
Construction on the current church began around 1060, an approximate date. The western area was canceled, but not entirely. The lower parts of its walls were preserved and integrated into the three naves of the new nave. The above date is confirmed by a text discovered by A. Vernet ( Almanach de Brioude, 1962, p. 15 ff ). One learns that on September 1st, 1400, a grave found under the north-west portal was opened. A lead plate was found in it, on which the name of a canon Peter was engraved, who was called "martyris amumni" (a follower of the martyr Julianus) and "conditor ecclesie" (founder of the church). On a document from 1066 this Peter is mentioned with the addition "amumnus" . He wanted to be buried under the threshold of the northwest portal.
By dividing the construction work into two large sections, the western and the eastern one, the sacred celebrations and thus the donations from the pilgrims could be maintained. Initially, the eastern part of the previous church remained in order to continue to hold the masses of the canons and the celebrations of the relics of St. Julian.
The construction phases can, again approximated, be dated as follows, each with the start of construction:
- 1. Around 1060 (?): Beginning in the west with the first floor of the narthex; lower parts of the first two yokes of the nave; Ground floor of the southeast side porch;
- 2. Around 1100 (?): Upper floor of the narthex; upper parts of the first two bays of the nave; Upper floor of the south-east side porch; the whole north-west side porch.
- 3. Around 1140 (?): Third and fourth yoke of the nave.
From around 1150 the western section of the building project was completed. The central nave probably had a groin vault that barely reached any higher than the aisles. Before the "old" east section was demolished, the sacred celebrations were relocated to the new west wing, consisting of the narthex and the four yokes of the nave. About thirty years later the construction site for the northeast section was reopened, this time in the opposite direction, from northeast to southwest. Around this time, pilgrimages to Spain began to decline.
- 4. Around 1180 (?): Choir head, "transept", and the fifth yoke of the nave.
At the end of the century, work on the church building was completed.
However, they were resumed in the 13th century to increase the vaults of the central nave. There were obviously still funds available from the income of the past decades.
- 5. Around 1259 - the date is mentioned in a papal bull by Alexander IV - the new vaulting of the central nave with ribbed vaults began. This work dragged on, possibly due to insufficient funds, as the incomes of the pilgrims had long since dried up. They weren't finished until the 14th century.
Late Middle Ages / Modern Times
In the later centuries, the Chapter's former zeal waned. The monastery counts were captured by their nobility and their privileges. In the meantime, the chapter required its members to provide evidence of four generations of nobility, paternal and maternal, regardless of the status of the petitioner. It was said "the king is the first canon" . Also the King of France Charles VI. (1368–1422) asserted his right. He came to Brioude and took part in the service as one of them in the religious garb of the Chapter.
The size of the chapter: In 1049, Leo IX reduced . the number of canons to 80, in 1426 Partin V further reduced to 54, and finally Louis XV. (1710–1774) to only 20. The chapter no longer survived the turmoil of the revolution (1789).
During the revolution and the years that followed, the convent buildings , which had largely been preserved until then , were declared "people's property" and sold for demolition. It is possible that these were exceptionally located on the northwest side of the church. Today there is still a two-storey, elongated wing attached at a right angle between the 4th and 5th yoke, which could have been a remnant of this convent building.
The crossing tower , which otherwise often fell victim to the destruction of the revolution, was largely spared. Only the spire was torn off. Around the middle of the 19th century, Mallay carried out extensive restorations of the church building, not always with the necessary restraint in terms of monument preservation, so the tower was also "refurbished" by him.
In 1957 the interior was extensively restored, which from today's perspective can be described as successful. The church was founded in the same year by Pope Pius XII. raised to the rank of a minor basilica .
Tomb of St. Julian in the "crypt"
G. Fournier ( Almanach de Brioude, 1967 and 1968 ) initiated a detailed investigation of the oldest buildings erected above Julien's grave . In his opinion, the round wall of the "crypt" is the remains of a tomb in the form of a rotunda (?), But not the remainder of a first martyrion erected over the grave. He takes the view that the Martyrion and the later basilica built over it were under the present narthex , which would also explain the strange north-east orientation of the church. Early Christian sanctuaries were often oriented perpendicular to their long axis to the southeast, towards the Holy City of Jerusalem . The latter, however, also applies to the construction of the basilica in the same direction as the predecessor building of today's “pseudocrypt” . In the completely Romanesque narthex there is no reference to the church where Gregory of Tours prayed in the 6th century.
The location of the “rotunda”, today's “crypt”, is obviously of great importance. As it is today, it was located under the triumphal arch of the choir and in the middle between the pillars of the crossing. The entire structure of the basilica seems to be grouped around this privileged place, the absolute center, which is particularly evident when it contains the tomb of the martyr. There is therefore ultimately reason to assume that the tomb of St. Julian is in its original location, where the two ancients Arcons and Ilpize had buried him, above it the Martyrion , part of what is now known as the “crypt”.
Excavations over the "pseudocrypt" from 1973
In 1973, the restoration of the old flooring in the nave, a paving made of coarse-grained pebbles with rubble stones , laid in rosettes and other geometric structures, was about to be completed. It was found that the pavement to be renewed only reached up to the height offset of the floor to the choir. In the higher choir area, by exposing a few square meters, a much older pavement from the 11th century was discovered, but about 30 cm lower. It was preserved intact and resembled that of the nave, but was smaller in size. During the excavation carried out by Fournier , a damaged altar step was also found, which was covered by remains of mosaic made of black and white braided ornaments. Four recesses were also uncovered for the bearers of the ciborium .
This discovery confirms that the “pseudocrypt” is actually the site of the martyrdom erected over the tomb of St. Julianus. The main altar was attached to it.
Archaeological excavations from 2002 to 2005
Archaeological excavations northeast of the choir head of the church, on the square of Gregory of Tours , have unearthed the foundation walls of some accompanying buildings and the remains of an old burial ground in the vicinity of the tomb of St. Julian (see floor plan). The following information is taken from a locally set up board, but it hardly contains any time information.
Inside a former Gallic sanctuary (A), the subsequent establishment of an early Christian baptistery was discovered , the first in the Auvergne, with a baptismal font in the middle made of basalt surrounds and top layers of bricks. As the climax of early Christian baptism, the naked person to be baptized climbed steps into the water in order to finally experience the anointing with holy oil in the form of a cross on his forehead. A document has been preserved about the burial of a sub-deacon Mellonius on January 27, 550 at this location, under the rule of Theodebaldus .
To the southwest of this building, the foundation walls of a small chapel from the early Romanesque era were exposed (D), from a nave with a semicircular choir apse. She owned a cellar with a round barrel, which was mainly used as an ossuary.
The foundation walls of the early Romanesque parish church of Notre-Dame (C) were found in the north-eastern corner of the square, consisting of two bays with barrel vaults and a semicircular choir apse with domed vault . Between the south-western corner of the building and the parlor choir of the basilica there was another "batiment canonial" , a monastery building, the exact purpose of which is still unclear. It also had a cellar with a barrel vaulted over it.
A large number of burial remains from the early Christian and early Romanesque epochs were discovered in the vicinity of the buildings. A furnace for melting bronze was even found.
Building
- Dimensions inside (approx.)
- Total length: 74.15 m
- Width of the nave (in the fourth yoke): 20.15 m
- Central nave width (on average): 5.50 m
- Aisle widths (on average): 5.30 m
- Height of central nave (today): 22.20 m
- Height of aisles (today): 13.50 m
- Dimensions outside
- Overall length: 77.00 m
Widths (without buttresses):
- Narthex, yokes 1 and 5: 21.70 m
- Yoke 4: 22.20 m
- Choir with chapels maximum: 28.10 m
- Yoke 2 with vestibules: 36.20 m
- Heights above ground
- First central nave: 26.40 m
- Helmspitze Vierungsturm: 48.00 m
- First west tower: 36.60 m
- First choir: 19.70 m
- Ridge chapels: 11.00 m
The rough structure of the Saint-Julien building is relatively simple. It mostly consists of an unusually long nave with five wide yokes. The narthex is placed in front of the nave in the plan dimensions of a yoke and is fully integrated into it. The narrow width of the central nave with its square yokes and the large width of the side aisles, hardly narrower than the central nave, are unusual. The “transept”, following the fifth yoke, can hardly be seen in the floor plan, but instead in the elevation . As an extension of the side aisles, the transept has a second floor in the form of a gallery , which can be seen above all from the outside. There are no classic transept arms that protrude over the sides of the nave. The head of the choir, with its gallery and wreath chapels, fits into the narrow choir, the apse of which is supported by only four columns. The roofs and their eaves do not extend beyond those of the chapels , as is usual in the Limage .
The building is not oriented to the east with the choir as usual, but to the northeast, exactly 53 degrees north.
The walls owe their particular charm to the beauty and diversity of the natural stones used, such as the red sandstone from Allevier , whose splendid coloring worsens over time, a limestone from Beaumont , a town near Brioude, and a gray and pink marble from Lauriat .
The choir no longer shows the variety of stone hues. When this was built towards the end of the 12th century, this polychromy no longer corresponded to the taste of the time.
The increasing use of style elements of Gothic architecture during the long construction period suggests that the builders would have liked to use significantly more or all of the Gothic style elements known at the time. However, they were obliged to adhere to the building methods customary in the country, or to the traditionalism of the canons of Brioude, the paying clients of the building.
Building interior
Most of the static load-bearing elements of the structure, such as columns , bases , and bundles of columns, are closed at the bottom with strong, multiple profiles of the round and partially round bases, which stand on right-angled plinths , almost always several times graded. The whole thing is raised again on right-angled platforms, often up to a meter in height, sometimes higher. In the case of bundles of pillars, the plinths and platforms are stepped accordingly around their floor plans.
Narthex
The narthex has been one of the highlights of Saint-Julien again since the internal restoration of the church in 1957, when it was restored to its magnificent structure of two storeys open to the nave. Before that, an organ covered it and its masonry was covered with a dirty-looking paint.
The sturdy pillars supporting the tower have cross-shaped cores, to which semicircular services are hidden on all sides. On the southwest wall, the pillars seem to partially disappear into the wall, possibly they are also hidden in front of it. Under the central arch to the nave there are only short semicircular consoles instead of the services. On the ground floor, the pillar capitals receive the girdle arches of the narthex arcades, which have stepped arched edges towards the first nave yoke. The central Narthexjoch is of a groin vault covers, in its apex, there is a square hole for the transport of bells in the side yokes are lunettes . The stone material does not consist of quarry stone, but house stone . The upper floor has similar arcades, also with stepped arched edges and vaults, but they are all arranged much higher. The central yoke is vaulted by a dome made of small-format red stones that rest on trumpets in the corners of the large square . At the top there is again the opening for transporting the bells.
The three arcades on the first floor facing the nave are older than those above. They differ primarily in their smaller arch stone formats and a greater variety of stones. In contrast, the arch stones on the upper floor are characterized by regular lines, larger stone formats and careful cutting, all made of the same pink sandstone. The cuts and assembly of the stone drums for the services are also different. At the bottom, whole drums alternate with those divided by a vertical joint. At the top there are only one-piece drums.
On the west wall one can also find evidence of the much older construction time of the ground floor, although much is covered by the external natural stone facing restored by Mallay in the middle of the 19th century . The two outer neo-Romanesque portals were created , which did not exist before 1850. During this action, the spiral staircase leading up to the gallery was spared. It is completely built into the massive buttress of the facade. Its enclosing walls are made of stones prepared with a hammer, a pre-Romanesque technique (!). By exiting this staircase to the gallery, the builder was forced to move the pillars on the west wall of the upper floor a little to both sides. This led to the strange trapezoidal floor plan of the rooms on the upper floor. This anomaly appears to confirm that the first floor of the west wall of the narthex also pre-existed.
The narthex is lit on the ground floor by two arched windows on the two side walls. They correspond in size and arrangement to those of the windows in the side aisles. The upper floor is illuminated by six windows in the facade, two on top of each other opposite each arcade of the three naves. The lower windows are larger than the ones above. There are also two windows on the sides of the narthex upper floor, roughly at the height of the side aisle windows.
SE side aisle, narthex gallery with Michael’s chapel
NW side aisle, narthex gallery
SE side aisle, main portal in the narthex
Longhouse
The nave consists of five wide bays and three exceptionally long naves. The central nave yokes are almost square, the unusually wide side aisle yokes are slightly rectangular. Since the elevation of the central nave in the 14th century, the previous darkness below the vaults has disappeared. The upper cladding windows made possible by this have allowed a great abundance of light to flow into the central nave, which could be a credit to a Gothic church. That was certainly not intended by the Romanesque builders. However, it makes it possible to bring out the structures of the wall associations and the variety of rocks. The colors range from soft pink to deep red ocher, interspersed with white and gray stone dots.
The longitudinal walls between the aisles are supported on each side of the central nave by four pillars with a square core, the sides of which measure 1.42 meters. On the four sides of the pillars, there are semicircular services , which on the sides of the central nave do not all reach down to the floor. They stand there at a height of about three meters on semicircular console stones that are tapered towards the bottom and supported by head sculptures. The walls, the thickness of the pillars, rest on five, quite wide, slightly pointed arcade arches, the edges of which are again stepped towards the central nave and which stand on the services that end at a height of 11 meters - including capitals. The capitals on the pillars are all at the same height. The arch stones are made of ocher tuff . The span of the arcades almost corresponds to the width of the central nave, which leads to the square shape of the central nave bays. The excellent proportions of the pillar bundles with their unusual upward striving classify these components as the most beautiful in the building.
The unusually wide and high side aisles are covered by three groin vaults and seven stone caps . The groin vaults are located in the younger bays 4 and 5. They are supported by belt arches that stand on the one hand on the pillars and on the other hand on the outer walls on flat pillars, which are clad with semicircular services. Only two of these belt arches, namely the one opposite the south portal, are set back on one edge. You actually miss the galleries that are common in pilgrimage churches , the great height of the aisles would have been enough for this without any problems.
In the outer walls of the aisle bays 1, 3, 4 and 5 there is a rather large round-arched window cut out, which almost reaches up to below the top of the vault. The inwardly widened walls and window sills usually have no machined edges.
The fact that the church was built over a longer period of time and under different master builders is proven not least by the clear irregularities of the constructions.
For example, the distances between the pillars in the longitudinal direction of the ships are:
- In the 2nd yoke: north-west side 6.82 m, south-east side 6.64 m
- In the 3rd yoke: north-west side 6.82 m, south-east side 7.81 m
The progress of construction in horizontal sections is always confirmed by the change of materials, the stone cutting and stone finishing.
One would like to know what shape the preceding central nave vault had and at what height it was laid out. Dozet , who had been entrusted with the restoration work in 1957, put forward the thesis that the first four bays were vaulted by domes on trumpets , as can be seen on the upper floor of the narthex (Monuments historique de la France, 1958, p. 177) . This proposal was based on the discovery of arch stones that are said to have been built into both the west wall of the narthex and the second yoke. But this hypothesis is hardly convincing.
The fifth yoke, which was built almost fifty years later than the last completed fourth yoke, is said to have been covered with a pointed barrel vault, the beginning of which is said to be recognizable on the triumphal arch in front of the main altar. This vault is said to have been placed above the upper cladding windows, which are framed by blind arcades. That seems to have been more of a "first attempt" to later raise the central nave, which at that time had not yet been implemented.
On the longitudinal walls of the central nave, in most of the bays (1 to 3 and 5) there is a profiled cantilevered cornice just above the apex of the arcade arches , at the level of the beginnings of the arches of the crossing arcades . Above this, the stone material usually changes, probably that of the addition in the 14th century. The yokes of the central nave were presumably also separated by pointed belt arches that rose on the pillar capitals. The actual vaults were possibly groin vaults in the style of the aisle vaults.
The current central nave vault, which was raised in the 14th century, is supported between the yokes by sharply pointed belt arches, the edges of which are broken up into round bar profiles. They stand on prominent pilasters with the same edges, which rise more than half the height of the pillars on the raised walls and are crowned there by wide half capitals. The pilasters stand on the capitals of the pillar services. They are flanked on both sides by right-angled companions, which usually do not reach down to the pillar cores. Some of its edges are dissolved into a round bar . At its upper end in the corner between the pilasters and companions, a short piece (approx. 1.0 meters) of a slender service supports the capital; at its lower end, a little head is modeled. The companions also consist partly of lean services in full. The four-part ribbed vaults are supported by profiled ribs, on the walls of half ribs. Some of the ribs consist of alternating dark and white stones. The structural keystones at their apexes are covered by widened hangers in the form of different leaf rosettes. The vault gussets are plastered. Their throats run almost horizontally to the apex of the surrounding arches.
The upper clad windows are shaped differently. In the 1st, 2nd and 5th yoke there are circular oculi with clover-leaf-shaped Gothic tracery just below the apex of the arch. Below that there are small pointed arched blind windows or doors in the 1st and 2nd yoke that lead into the roof space behind. In the 5th yoke, under the round window, there are three small, round-arched blind arcades on angular pillars with profiled spars. The inner one is again a door to the attic. In the third yoke, the wall is almost completely filled by a pointed arch window that is structured with Gothic tracery. The lower rectangular area is "blind", divided into five rectangular fields, the middle of which again offers a passage into the roof space.
NW aisle to the front
SE side aisle to the front
SE side aisle in front of transept
NW aisle in front of the transept
NW aisle to the rear
SE wall of central nave, from NW transept
SO wall central nave, pilasters with round companions
NW wall of central nave, from 5th yoke to the rear
In the second yoke of the nave, a two-storey vestibule is built on each of the north-west and south-east sides, somewhat larger in plan than the aisle bays, which protrude like transept arms from the long walls of the nave. The southeastern one covers the southeast portal in the side aisle wall. Its three free sides open almost in full width with arcades made of massive belt arches and services with capitals at eye level. The ground floor is covered by a stitch cap vault. The upper floor is illuminated by three medium-sized, arched windows. It opens into the nave with a generous arcade made of belt arches and services with capitals. A stationary staircase to the upper floor is not recognizable.
The northwestern vestibule is constructed in a similar way to the one opposite. However, it is closed on the ground floor by windows and portals and thus forms a “vestibule”. The large outer arched opening is closed by a wooden portal with glazing in the upper area. A round arched window on the southwest side and a tiny window next to the portal provide additional light. The ground floor is divided into a square room and a narrow side room. The square is covered by a groin vault with painted ribs. The paintings are in poor condition. The coat of arms of Anton II of Langeac , the monastery propst from 1479 to 1515, is shown.
The inner portal in the side aisle is older than the reconstruction of the church (around 1060, see section History), it is covered by a lintel , the top of which rises from the outside towards the center by about 20 degrees. Its almost horizontal underside forms a so-called straight arch with a low stitch height. It was built on a framework made of alternating white and pink conical "arch stones". On these slopes there is still a layer of such, but rectangular stone heads. The lintel takes up almost the entire arch of the slightly pointed round arched tympanum , which is covered by a similar arch that was added around 1100 when the vestibule was added. Towards the end of the 12th century, a stucco ribbon was attached with forged nails in the corner between the arch and the tympanum , which is decorated with delicately cut, stylized palm leaves. It does not completely cover the round rod companion of the bow.
The unplastered tympanum still has a few remains of an old painting that staged a “ great ascension ”. A mandorla hangs directly below the crown of the arch and takes up almost two thirds of the height of the tympanum. Its edge, decorated with “precious stones”, is only preserved in the upper third, below there are only shadowy contours. A bit above the lower edge of the mandorla, horizontal bands extend from it on both sides and run up to the edge of the arch. They, too, can only be identified as contours. The ribbon presumably separated the sky above from the earthly world below. Almost nothing can be seen of the representation of Christ in the mandorla. Behind a possible head one could imagine the circular cross nimbus delimited by a thin line (?). The fields on both sides of the mandorla are almost filled with the remains of two angels. Her legs stretched horizontally outwards and the wings pointing upwards represent a floating posture. Parts of her heads are backed by nimben . The one on the left is bordered with a double line, the one on the right by a simple one. The angel on the left seems to stretch out an arm and reach for the mandorla with his hand. Below the horizontal band, the outlines of twelve standing people with large-format nimbs can be made out, who are touching each other, sometimes even slightly overlapping. The two inner people turn towards the center, which can be recognized by the contours of folded hands and the sleeves of their robes hanging down. The characters and halos are separated from each other by what were previously black backgrounds. Whether there was another person standing in front of the mandorla, perhaps Our Lady, can only be guessed (?).
On a profile on the lower edge of the tympanum, an inscription has been preserved in parts, intended to explain the meaning of the scene. There you can read: VIRI GALILEI QU (ID) ...: "You men from Galilee, why are you looking at heaven? ..."
The upper floor is illuminated from two sides with arched windows and opens again with a generous arcade into the aisle. It is covered with a stitch cap vault.
A single-storey chapel is built on the northeast side of the 3rd yoke, slightly narrower than the adjacent aisle yoke. A large arcade opening connects the chapel and aisle with one another. In the 4th yoke there is a door to further extensions.
Transept and crossing
Beyond the 5th yoke of the nave, the overall width of the church becomes somewhat smaller. The brickwork on the outer walls seems to have been repaired several times.
The transept can hardly be made out in the floor plan. Inside the building, only the deviating vaulting of the square crossing is noticeable, such as the complete stonightness and the two-storey nature of the "transept arms" with galleries on the upper floor, which, however, do not end with a projection beyond the outer walls of the nave. Seen from the outside, the two-storey parts of the “transept” are clearly visible.
The crossing pillars have roughly the same shape and dimensions as the nave pillars, the edges of their cores are resolved into slender services in setbacks. But they differ in the different heights of their capitals. There are three of them. The crossing walls end uniformly just above the apex of the triumphal arch to the choir with a profiled cantilever cornice.
Above it rises the top floor of the crossing, which at the same time forms the base of the crossing tower and protrudes on three sides (excluding the southwestern one) over the roofs of the transept arms and the choir. The inner wall surfaces move slightly outwards compared to the crossing walls below. This section of space is covered by a four-part ribbed vault at the same height as the vault of the central nave, the ribs of which are formed from strong three-quarter round bars. Such round bars are also located in the course of the connections of the vault gussets to the surrounding walls. The circular hole for transporting the bell in the top of the vault is also framed by a round bar. The vault gussets are filled with small-format red house stones. The arches on the outer walls are semicircular, somewhat stilted and stand in the corners of the aforementioned wall recesses. These walls are broken through on each of the three free sides by a large, arched window. The arched and reveal edges of the window are resolved with different setbacks. The outer arch stands on set back columns with capitals and profiled fighters, which are led up to the round bars of the vault. In the wall facing the nave, there is a smaller, arched opening.
The edges of the highest four belt arches of the crossing arcades are resolved with multiple setbacks, in which a strong round bar profile is inserted, which is partly followed by a second, slimmer one. The lateral upper arcade arches stand on low but strong pilasters, the capitals of which merge into those of the other pillars. They are in turn on the floor of the upper floor of the "transept arms", the height of which is marked by a profiled cantilever profile. Just below this there are further arcades, whose belt arches and arch gussets conceal the vaulting of the ground floor of the transept arms. Their edges pointing towards the crossing are also divided into several setbacks and two round bars. The edge resolution in round bars is a Gothic style element. On the north-western upper floor of the “arm of the transept”, an organ almost completely fills the arcade. There is also a chimney with a chimney that obviously never was in use.
The vaults of the ground floor of the "transept arms" are arranged much lower than those of the side aisles, about the same height as the gallery vaults. In the north-west it is a lancet vault and in the south-east it is a groin vault. The walls between the aisles and the “transept” are broken up by individual arcades on the ground floor, as wide as the passages between the aisles and so high that they just cover the vaults of the transept arms on the ground floor. Wide-format, round-arched openings are cut out on the upper floor.
In the outer walls of the ground floors of the "transept arms" there is a large round-arched window, the side edges of which are broken up into columns. A twin window is installed on the upper floor, the arched arcades of which are separated by a column with a capital.
On the ground floor of the north-western "transept arm" there is a small door that leads to a spiral staircase that leads in an oversized buttress over the roof of the "transept arm" to the defense equipment of the roof edges. You can also use these stairs to get to the bell-room of the four-tower.
The foundations of the two front crossing pillars on the side of the triumphal arch frame exactly the former rotunda-like martyrdom of St. Julian, the half of which later became the north-eastern part or the apse of the crypt . The pillars have seven older stone layers at their base, which were obviously damaged in a fire (in the northeast).
Parlor choir and wreath chapels
The choir head of Saint Julien was built in late Romanesque style at the end of the 12th century, at a time when the early Gothic cathedrals were already being built in central France . The profile and lines of some of the arcades already suggest Gothic features. The chancel at a shallow depth is closed off by a semicircular apse supported by only four columns and three pointed arches, the arches of which merge into the lancet caps of the surrounding vault. It is a dome arched over in the form of a half dome.
The circular passage is covered by a continuous ring barrel. It is structured by the ridges of differently dimensioned stitch caps, each in front of the arcades of the choir, the wreath chapels and the gallery windows. The gallery vault consists of carefully and skillfully prepared blocks, which Viollet-le-Duc , who was an expert on such vaults, had already admired. Belt arches on three-quarter round services are only available at the two entrances to the ambulatory.
This is surrounded like a fan by five wreath chapels, each precisely centered and radially opposite the choir arcades. The choir apse columns are also exactly radially opposite the circumferential window axes. This geometrical order is stricter than that in the main Limage churches. Four of the choir chapels are vaulted with half-barrel domes. The apex chapel, on the other hand, is covered with a pointed arched ribbed vault, from which Gothic influences can be recognized. This also applies to the pointed arches of the choir.
The arched windows of the gallery and the chapels are lavishly decorated. They are each bordered by two arcades, the pillars of which are equipped with capitals, fighters and bases that are set back from the reveals. On top of them rest two arches made of thicker round bars, which are accompanied by arches made of slimmer round bars. Below the sloping window sills, carved cantilevered cornices with fine tendril, palmette and wickerwork ornaments run up to the pillars that delimit the wall sections. The chapel openings are surrounded by single arcades, made up of semicircular services with flat, pointed belt arches, which are clad on the inside with strong semicircular round bar profiles. The gallery vault rests with its pointed stabbing caps on three-quarter round services, next to the edges of the chapel openings, which are broken up by very slender services. Twin markers with cloverleaf arches are installed under the gallery windows. The arcade niches are bordered on the outside by rectangular wall pieces and supported in the middle by a semicircular column with a carved capital, a profiled fighter and a base. The profiles of the bases, plinths and consoles are drawn across the walls between the external services of the gallery . This also applies to the inside of the chapel.
The relatively short length of the chancel - here 7.20 m compared to 10.40 m in Issoire - the unusual number of only four apse columns - as in the small church of Volvic - and the improbable reuse of the capitals fit well with the assumption that that the choir was also rebuilt on the older foundations of a previous building.
"Crypt"
This “ crypt ” is actually not one. It consists of a small rectangular underground space under the triumphal arch of the choir, 7.40 meters long and 5.40 meters wide, with a semicircular east end, similar to an apse, which is covered by a steep, deeply drawn cap vault on two columns. This room is accessed via two side stairs.
The components lack a certain uniformity. The short pillars of the apse are overlaid against older masonry. The columns, the vault and the rectangular room date from the 16th and 17th centuries. The round walls of the apse consist of small-format masonry in an irregular pattern with wide joints. The walls were covered by another vault, the "beginners" of which can still be seen. On both sides of the “apse”, a light and air shaft rises diagonally upwards under the crown of the vault and ends at a small rectangular opening through which one can look into the ambulatory.
Outward appearance
Westwork / narthex / facade
To put it simply, the westwork is an extension of the nave by a yoke or around the narthex to the southwest, but inside with two storeys extending over the entire width of the nave. The two side aisles of the nave have the same external elevation as the side sections of the narthex. As an extension of the central nave, the gallery of the narthex with its trumpet dome reaches almost the same height as the nave, but externally becomes the base of the higher, central west tower.
The facade has largely lost its original shape. Its fairly uniform red natural stone masonry is obviously a facing covering older parts, which the architect Mallay had in the middle of the 19th century as part of an extensive restoration. The two outer, neo-Romanesque portals, which did not exist before 1850, were created.
The facade is dominated by four exceptionally massive buttresses with sides of around two meters. The outer two reach with their steeply sloping tops to just about the height of the aisle eaves. The inner and widest ones also extend a good bit further up with such a bevel and help to support the dome and the tower. Their insides widen diagonally towards the wall. The cross-sections of the inner pillars are so massive, not least because the spiral staircase on the right goes up to the upper floor and further up to the base of the bell tower. On the first floor, the facade wall between the inner pillars is essentially lined up to the surface level with the pillars. The top of the lining is sloped like a roof.
The irregular layered masonry of the facade consists of red sandstone in an almost uniform color intensity. The middle part has medium brick formats, on the side sections the formats decrease from bottom to top. The inner buttresses and the wall between them are made of uniformly lighter, red ashlar above the portal storey , the pier heads and their sloping tops are made of light gray stones with scattered red ones.
The facade is divided horizontally several times. Its base is formed by the almost one meter high base made of gray stones that protrudes only slightly. The second is an expansive Krag cornice just above the height of the fighter of the portals whose lower edge view of a roller Fries is dissolved. This cornice runs over the entire facade and covers the outer archivolt arches of the portals. Just above the apex of the outer arch of the main portal there is a second strip of cornice, which is also the eaves of the roof-like slope. It consists of an upper cantilevered profiled part and a decorative band that is almost flush with the wall and is decorated with a zigzag band. It ends on both sides of the outer buttress. The next horizontal subdivision extends only between the four buttresses, in the middle from a cornice band with a scroll frieze, in the outer fields from a simply profiled cornice. Both again cover the outer arch stones of the window. The last horizontal structure is a simply profiled strip of cornice under the top facade windows between the buttresses. The façade walls are closed off by cantilevered cornices that extend further, horizontally in the central part, just under a meter above the inner buttresses. About the outer sides of the buttresses, the cornice bends diagonally downwards, up to the eaves of the aisles. These sloping pent roof gable walls are steeper with an inclination of about 30 degrees than the roofs of the aisles that begin behind them.
The central main portal is a three-tier archivolt portal made up of three archivolt arches with a square cross-section made of alternating red and white arch stones, the arched edges of which are resolved with round bars. They stand on six pillars with capitals carved out of plants, profiled fighters and bases, each set back from the reveal edges that emerge in the spaces between the pillars. Behind the inner archivolt emerges another, exclusively masonry. The arch field is closed on the inside with wooden cladding, part of the wooden portal.
The two outer portals are modern additions (around 1850). They are each framed by a single-tier archivolt, the flat arch of which consists alternately of red and white arch stones, which, however, does not stand on the side pillars, but directly on the outside on the masonry of the outer soffit. In the soffit setbacks, like the main portal, there are columns on which a monolithic lintel rests, the upper sides of which are gently sloping towards both ends. The arch field is flush with the surface of the lintel and the arch is filled with a stone wickerwork with diamond-shaped spaces.
The largest of the facade windows is located above the main portal and is covered by a single-step archivolt, which is set back in the soffit twice as wide. The resulting double arch is made of alternating red and white arch stones. The outer one rests on two columns, which are equipped like those of the portals, and stands on a window sill, the visible edge of which is decorated like the cornice strip below. The window cut out above it is the smallest of the facade, but has deep walls that are strongly widened towards the outside, which are still surrounded by an archivolt, with a greater width than the window below. The short columns with the equipment described above stand on the highest cornice that joins the facade.
The two lower windows on the upper floor of the narthex side aisles are almost as high as the middle window, but much slimmer. They only have a right-angled soffit, the arch stones of which are again alternating red and white, and window sills as in the middle window. Above that, on the uppermost strip of cornice, there are two much smaller windows that illuminate obviously inaccessible cavities above the vaults.
The north-west and south-east outer walls of the side aisles of the narthex are designed similarly to the adjoining outer walls of the nave aisles. The widely projecting slabs of the eaves cornice lie on identical planed chipboard bricks, as often found in the main churches of the Limage . The upper floors are lit by round-arched windows of roughly the same size with right-angled reveal edges, like those in the aisles. In addition, a somewhat smaller, otherwise identical window is left open on the ground floor. The first buttress on the western edge of the building is not, as with the southern one, as an extension of the pillar axes next to the facade wall, but as an extension of the facade wall. As a result, the window on the northwest side, seen from the outside, is not in the middle between the buttresses.
The closed tower base begins on the three free sides above the upper horizontal facade, initially with a pent roof-like, slightly grooved slope with masonry made of small-format black basalt stones . Over it it goes a little further vertically upwards with layered masonry in reddish hues of all intensities, from pink to black-red. This plinth covers the north-west side of the central nave up to its eaves level. It is closed horizontally by a protruding cantilever cornice with a beveled lower edge. Above it rise up two square, roughly equal storeys of the bell tower , each of which is slightly set back from its substructure and separated from one another by the same cantilever cornice as described above. The brickwork of the floors is light beige, except for the edges of the lower sound hatches.
On each side of the tower and on each floor, triplet markings, standing directly on the cornices, open around three arched sound hatches of the bell chamber. The lower one, slightly wider and higher than the upper one, consists of three archivolts, the arches of which are square in cross-section and stand on four pillars, equipped with carved capitals, profiled fighters and bases. The actual sound hatches are slightly smaller than the arcades, their side edges are rounded and consist of alternating red and white stones. The inner arch stones are red. The outer arch stones are covered by a cantilever profile, the lower edge of which is bevelled and which bends horizontally, barely higher than the transom and is led to the corner of the tower. The upper arcatures each consist of three individual arcades, which, however, meet closely. The three arches stand on six pillars, equipped like those on the floor below. Very narrow angular pillars are set between the inner columns. The sound hatches fit exactly into the arcade openings. The arcade arches are covered by a cantilever profile, as is the case with those on the floor below, and end on the outside of the extension of the spiers, which extend to the edge of the tower.
The tower is closed at the top by a cantilevered cornice made of stone slabs, which lie on chipboard bricks. The cornice is surmounted a short distance by the wooden rafter heads on which an eaves formwork rests. The flat inclined pyramid roof of the tower is covered with red hollow tiles of Roman shape, also called monk-nun tiles .
Longhouse
The five-bay nave has the classic basilica elevation, with relatively high side aisles, which are covered by flat sloping pent roofs, and a much higher central nave, under an equally flat sloping gable roof . The church did not receive the central nave elevation with the upper facade windows until the 13th and 14th centuries. Before that, the three naves were either housed under a shared gable roof or had roofs similar to those of today, but with only a slight height offset and no upper cladding window.
The yokes of the aisles are divided by very massive buttresses, the steeply sloping tops of which reach up to about the same height as the vertices of the windows. The buttresses of the central nave, above the aisle roofs, are a little less strong. They reach under the eaves, but emerge twice further to the outside. They stand under the roof surfaces on the belt arches of the side aisles, which transfer these loads to their services. These buttresses are missing between yokes 2 and 3, but are replaced on each side of the nave by a correct, sloping downward gothic buttress arch with a rounded underside, which just above the aisle eaves meets a protruding buttress on the aisle's outer wall. Instead of a pinnacle of the pillars is covered in its longitudinal direction saddle roof-like.
In the 5th yoke, the buttresses reach up to the level of the eaves and are connected to one another, flush with the surface, with a slightly pointed arcade arch spanning the yoke. The formation of the eaves described below was brought forward to the outside of the pillars and the arch. There is a wide shaft between the arched masonry and the outer wall of the aisle, which was probably a large pitch bay and as such was used for defense purposes. These pitch bays can also be found on the gable walls of the "transept arms".
The ships are covered with red hollow bricks in Roman format. The eaves of the aisles are relatively monotonous, as their corbel motif is repeated uninterruptedly. The expansive cornice slabs lie on identical chipboard bricks, the workload of the stonemasons should not be underestimated. The inclined visible edges of the cornice panels are also decorated with an elaborate, checkerboard-like, three-dimensional pattern. The significantly younger eaves of the central nave are designed much less elaborately and protrude less. The beveled visible edges of the cornice are simply profiled and their corbels are stepped and rounded in the simplest possible way. The excellent state of preservation of the eaves of the side aisles without any trace of weathering indicates a renovation in the 19th century.
The predominantly round-arched windows in the side aisles are relatively high, each recessed in the center of the yoke and have right-angled reveal edges without additional decoration. The top windows of the central nave in yokes 1, 2, 4 and 5 are circular, so-called oculi . They are decorated with clover-leaf Gothic tracery . In the 3rd yoke there is a large pointed arch window, but only its upper section. Its arch approaches stand directly above the pent roof ridges of the side aisles. Gothic tracery can also be found in it.
Southwest porch
The two-storey vestibule on the south-east side of the church stands on an outline of 10.10 × 7.25 meters in front of the 2nd yoke. It is covered by a gable roof with an incline of about 30 degrees. Its ridge runs across the nave and hits the aisle a little below the eaves. Your gable wall protrudes slightly over the roof surfaces. On all three outer sides of the ground floor there are large round arched arcade openings made of massive belt arches, semicircular services, with vegetable carved capitals, hardly above eye level. These have a stitch cap vault. Round-arched windows are left open on each side of the upper floor.
The porch was built at the end of the 11th century in front of an older portal, which is covered by a gable-shaped monolithic lintel. It dates from roughly the same period as the first floor of the narthex. This is indicated by the matching leaf capitals. The portal still has its old door leaves, which used to be covered with leather, some remains of which are still present. They are carried by artistically forged iron door hinges.
Two bronze door knockers , which are very rare in France, deserve special attention . Your signature will be deciphered as follows: GIRAL (D) US ME FECIT: "Giraldus made me". Two circular disks frame a lion's snout and a monkey-like face. The inscriptions surrounding them should enable the viewer to understand the symbolic content of the representations. Around the lion's snout you can read: ORIOR EXANIMIS VITA (M) DAT SP (IRITUS) ORIS: “I am born without life, the breath of the mouth brings me life”. The text seems to have been easier to understand for contemporaries than we are today. It's about a very old legend. Lion cubs were born stillborn in medieval bestiaries . "Three days later, the lion's roar gave them life" . It was also said that the lion resuscitates its cubs by blowing its breath into their mouths . This legend comes from far away. One finds it already in the Naturalis historiae of Pliny (VIII, 17) . The inscription quoted above relates to them. In our context, it is to be seen as a symbol of the risen Christ.
All around the monkey mask you can read: ILLECEBRIS ORIS CAPTOS FALLAX TRA (H) IT ORBIS, loosely translated as: “The prince of this world casts a spell on people with seductive lies” . This monkey has lent its features to the demon, a monkey with a human face, eyes full of cunning, with the mouth of a talker. This is about the Antichrist, the thousand-wise demon (mile Artifex) , as it is written on the capital in the nave: on the one hand, right side as Christ on the other as Satan.
Northwest porch
The vestibule on the north-west side of the church stands on an outline of 9.70 × 6.50 meters in front of the 2nd yoke. It is also two-storey, with the same height, ridge course, roof pitch and height of the gable wall as the opposite. The arched portal in the gable wall is enclosed by triple setbacks and is clearly shifted from the center of the gable to the left. To the right of him is a tiny ogival window. Above the portal, a medium-sized, arched window is slightly less shifted from the center. Its arch is covered by a cantilever profile that bends horizontally above the arches and is led to the corner of the building. On the south-west side there is a large arched opening on the ground floor and a smaller window on the upper floor.
This vestibule was also built in front of an existing portal. The color palette of the bricks of the gable wall is extremely diverse and ranges from light white, through light yellow to reddish ocher, pink, medium to dark red, and brown to black. Mainly medium to small formats are walled up in irregular layers up to about eaves height. Shortly above the apex of the window, mostly small-format, black house stones are walled up, into which dark red stones are interspersed at the verge. Against this background stand out two stripes under the gable ridge, which are inlaid with incrustations of black and white mosaic stones in the form of triangles, diamonds and parallelograms . The gable wall has evidently been spared later modifications, such as the facade (for the tympanum of the portal into the nave, see section Interior).
"Querhaus" and crossing tower
If the layout of a typical transept is not immediately recognizable on the inside, this is absolutely true when viewed from the outside, even if it does not protrude clearly over the outer walls of the aisles on the ground floor. Above the roofs of the side aisles and the ambulatory there are huge “bulwarks” that come very close to the idea of transept arms. Their “eaves cornices” made of cornice panels and chipboard parapets correspond to those of the side aisles and are located on the three free sides of the “transept arms”, roughly at the height of the choir ridge and the lower half of the upper window. They, too, like the eaves of the side aisles, were very likely renewed in the 19th century. However, they do not mark a real eaves, but rather one meter high parapets or parapets have been bricked up vertically, which underline the defensive character of these components, behind which one could hide in the event of an attack. They are covered on the top by light-colored, slightly protruding stone slabs. The flat sloping roof surfaces behind it cannot be seen from below. The strong pillars protruding far in front of the gable walls of the transept are connected to each other just below the eaves cornice by a round, slightly pointed brick arcade arch, the approaches of which are marked by corbels with a rounded lower visible edge. Behind the arch and between the pillars there is a continuous shaft that functioned as a pit hole . A piece under the eaves cornice, two gargoyles are installed on both sides, slightly indented inwards , which drain the roof surfaces of the "transept arms". On the northern edge of the north-western transept gable, the buttress has been widened significantly towards the inside in order to accommodate a spiral staircase inside. Like the above measures, this is also one of the subsequent military additions. The stair tower is equipped with loopholes cut out in the middle, some also on its northeast wall. It is clearly tapered above the eaves cornice, raised a good bit over the parapet and covered with a stone pyramid roof with a roof pitch of 45 degrees.
With the transept gables and their buttresses, you can clearly see from the change in stone material and its colors, just above the apex of the ground floor windows, that the part of the building above was built on older, further-used components of the previous building. The lower area consists predominantly of light, gray-beige stone - masonry, in which dark gray and sometimes red stones are interspersed. Above that, the stone color changes to a largely uniform medium red, with a few lighter and darker stones.
On the first floor of these walls there is a large round arched window in the center of the yoke, the reveal and arched edges of which are set back twice the width of the arch stones. An archivolt is inserted in each of the setbacks, with an arch that is square in cross-section and the edge of which is profiled several times. It stands on pillars that are decorated with carved capitals, profiled warriors and bases. The transom profile is led up against the pillars. The arch and soffit stones are alternately light and black. The outer arch is covered by a delicately carved cantilever profile. On the upper floor of the gable walls, a twin window is cut out on each side, which, however, is clearly offset to the southwest compared to the yoke axis. Its two arches stand together in the middle on a small column, with a carved capital, a profiled fighter and the same base, and on the outside on the recessed edges of the reveal. It is framed by a large archivolt, the arch of which is barely sharpened with a square cross-section. This stands on pillars placed in the side soffit recesses, with the same equipment as the one in the middle. The red stones of the arch and those of the arch field show significant signs of weathering and are strongly rounded on all sides. The transom profile is led horizontally over the wall to the buttresses. A similar profile covers the outer archivolt arch.
The free areas of the north-east and south-west walls of the "transept arms" have no openings, apart from a small door through which one can get to the roofs of the gallery and the chapels, and two loopholes in the stair tower. Only the buttresses in extension of the gable walls create these completely unadorned wall surfaces. They reach up to the eaves. With a few lighter exceptions, the visible masonry of the north-east walls of the transept arms was made of uniformly red sandstones. It is said to be a cladding of the old transept of the previous church, which, like other structural parts, was integrated into the construction of the last church.
The top floor of the crossing, which is square in plan, protrudes far beyond the roof areas of the "transept arms" and the choir on three sides. Instead of the usual dome, it hides a stilted cross-ribbed vault and is reinforced on the edges by strong buttresses sloping on the top. Its horizontal tops are finished with a simple cantilever cornice. The south-west side completely closes off the central nave. The free sides are broken up by window openings, somewhat smaller than those on the ground floor of the transept gable walls, but with their decorative fittings. However, the overlap profile is only profiled once. The masonry here is again more multicolored, predominantly pink, with darker and lighter bits.
The octagonal crossing tower begins with only a slight offset from the square outline of the crossing. The “remaining” horizontal triangles of the crossing square are covered by slightly inclined stone slabs. A closed, vertical plinth of low height just towers above the central nave ridge. It consists of medium-gray ashlar and is finished with a simple cantilever cornice.
The two octagonal storeys of the bell chamber are about the same height and each jump back only slightly from their substructure. All vertical octagonal edges of both storeys are marked with three-quarter-round columns at their full height. Both storeys are finished on the top with almost black cornices with a profiled visible edge, on equally dark corbels, with simply sculpted faces.
The first floor begins with two thin layers of dark red stone on which a narrow window sill rests all around. On each side of the tower there is the arched opening of the sound hatch, which is framed all around by recessed arch and soffit stones, the edges of which are broken up with round bars. The inner arch is covered by an outer archivolt arch flush with the wall, the edge of which is again dissolved like the inner one. The archivolt arch stands on slender pillars, which are equipped with carved capitals, protruding profiled fighters and bases on right-angled plinths. The transom profile is extended on the one hand to the window reveal, on the other hand to the octagonal edge and its column. The outer arch is covered by a similar profile. The wall section above the sonic hatches is made of almost white stone. The inner arch and pillars of the archivolt are just as white, as is the upper section of the pillars on the tower edges. The archivolt arch is dark red. White and dark red layers of stone alternate on the wall sections and reveals below the transom profiles, as well as on the pillars of the tower edges.
The second and top floor begins again with two somewhat thicker dark red stone layers. The construction and decoration of the sound hatches are designed in the same way down to the last detail as on the floor below; only their coloring differs considerably. The wall surfaces, inner arches, window reveals and pillars on the tower edges are uniformly dark red-brown. The surrounding window sill, the archivolts' pillars, the transom and overlapping profile are almost white, and white and dark red arch stones alternate on the outer archivolts.
Another stone cornice slab protrudes over the cantilevered cornice on the last floor, the gray beveled visible edge of which is simply profiled. Immediately afterwards, the steeply sloping, octagonal , 10-meter-high pyramid roof of the tower tower rises up , made of a wooden construction covered with flat, glazed clay shingles , laid in red and yellow shades and in geometric patterns. The edges of the helmet are covered with hollow bricks. The tip of the helmet is crowned by a gracefully forged Latin cross .
Choir head
The choir head of Saint-Julien von Brioude, begun around 1165, is the last major building project of Romanesque architecture in the Auvergne. It was built at a time when architecture and its sculpture lost their provincial peculiarity, which had been cultivated up until then, and the architecture of the Gothic style, which spanned all landscapes, triumphantly prevailed.
Its structure can hardly be compared with that of the main churches in the Limage, especially because it lacks the pyramid-shaped triple gradation between the wreath chapels, the ambulatory and the choir. In addition, the choir head had to be built independently of the later built “transept” against which it leans. The Romanesque churches of Limage are known for their intimate association of these components. However, one must take into account that the older "transept" of the previous building still existed when it was built.
The roofs of the chapels and the gallery are at the same height, as are their eaves. The roofs of the conical roofs of the chapels slide radially over the ring-shaped monopitch roof of the gallery, where they form small gable roofs that taper towards the choir. The eaves cornice runs around all the wreath chapels and short outer wall sections of the walkway without any height offset, right up to their connections to the transept arms.
The outer walls of the five chapels, which are semicircular in plan, are divided vertically into three roughly equally wide sections by two projecting buttresses. With their steeply sloping tops, they reach just below the eaves. In the corners between the chapel and the wall, only a small, roughly square remnant of pillars emerges. At the lower end, the pillars and wall sections have a continuous foot extension that is bevelled on the top and rests on an all-encompassing, circularly curved and almost one meter high plinth, which is covered by a narrow, cantilevered stone slab. His older age compared to that of the rising structural members can be seen. The surface of the wall panels between the buttresses is divided approximately halfway up by a steeply sloping back offset. The lower area is smoothly closed, in the upper, recessed area, a slender, round-arched window is cut out, which is surrounded by an archivolt set in a setback at the distance of the arch and reveal stones. The semicircular archivolt arch consists mainly of a strong, curved round rod, which is accompanied by several different profiles on the inside and outside. Often the outer overlap profile is decorated with plant ornaments. On the outer chapel in the northwest, the archivolts arch has a strong, jagged and rounded profile. On the opposite chapel in the southeast, the smooth round rod is decorated with X-shaped crosses. The archivolt arches stand on slender pillars in the lateral recesses of the reveals. They are equipped with carved capitals, strong profiled fighters that are led up to the buttresses, and profiled bases that stand on small cube-shaped plinths. The inclined setback of the wall merges into the incline of the windowsill.
The capitals are predominantly carved from plants. Others show figurative, often heavily weathered representations. On one of them, lush tendrils grow from the mouths of various animal heads. Another shows two winged dragons with bird heads facing each other.
The eaves cornices of the chapels and the outer walls consist of widely projecting cornice panels, the visible edges of which are mostly broken up with a round bar, with a further profile above. Only the apex chapel has a scroll frieze there. The cornice slabs lie on a total of 105 corbels, the sculptures of which are all differently shaped and of the highest artistic quality. They owe their excellent state of preservation to the good quality of the stone. The majority of the sculptures are human and animal heads. Only one corbel represents whole figures, possibly David breaking a lion's jaw (?). The sculptures on the corbels of the north-western chapel depict different types of human heads and animal masks in regular alternation. Their natural style is similar to that of the workshop that worked on the capitals of the crossing and those of the aisles. The caricature-like depiction that is often found in the upper Auvergne is hardly represented here, and the fantastic ingenuity of the sculptors is also moderate. The proximity to Gothic art can already be seen.
The eaves of the three inner chapels have rectangular metopes inserted between the corbel sculptures, most of which are carved with simple motifs such as foliage, rosettes, medallions or wickerwork. You can also see some bas-reliefs, such as “ Samson and the Lion (?)”, Birds facing each other and even the bust of a crucified man, although these are of lesser artistic value. The material of the walls of the chapels and short walkways, with the buttresses, the decorative elements surrounding the windows and the eaves cornices consists mainly of medium gray stone. Above a horizontal line, about two meters above the base protrusion, however, a strip of masonry made of mostly red sandstone begins, which extends to the window sills and shows stronger signs of weathering than the gray stone. A reason for this sharply delimited change in material cannot be identified.
The choir rises from the roof of the gallery, which can hardly be seen by the observer, and pushes with its yoke against the north-east wall of the crossing. Its walls are based on a plan of the rectangular yoke to which the semicircular apse adjoins. The choir is covered by a piece of gable roof with an incline of about 30 degrees, to which half a conical roof above the apse is seamlessly attached. Its roof, like those of the chapels and the gallery, were originally covered with red hollow tiles in Roman format. These were later exchanged for an atypical roofing made of flat gray slate sheets. The surrounding eaves cornice consists of strong cornice panels, the visible edge of which is simply profiled. They rest on closely spaced wood-chip corbels, which are similar to those on the “transept” and the side aisles. The almost blackened color of the cornice and corbels suggests a longer weathering period than the much lighter parts of the eaves that were renewed in the 19th century. But it has not been proven whether they are really the original ones. The ridge of the choir is crowned with a stone ridge, as we know it from many churches in Limage. Above its free end, on a T-shaped support, stands a square cross with fanned out arms, reminiscent of a paw cross . Such crosses are also often found on the churches mentioned above.
The walls of the choir are divided in half in height, into the lower window and arcade zone and the upper band of incrustations. The walls are divided twice vertically with slender buttresses, exactly between the straight lines of the yoke and the curved ones of the apse.
The window and arcade zone consists of a series of five triple blinds, each of which consists of a large arcade that surrounds the arched window at a distance and is flanked by two blind arcades that are almost half as wide. These groups of three are separated from each other by, or connected with, short but strong semicircular columns. The arcade arches made of strong round bars, which are covered by three other narrow profiles, stand united among each other on slender pillars, the outer ones of the group each also on the thick half-pillars. The pillars are equipped with predominantly plant-based carved capitals, on which profiled fighter plates protrude. The transom profile is continued laterally and connects the capitals with one another, also across the half-columns. The profiled bases of the pillars stand on cube-shaped plinths.
The recessed masonry of the arcade niches, window reveals and the thick half-columns have reddish tones. The blinds and the masonry above their arches, up to the height of the highest arch vertex, are made of gray stone. Above that, the band with incrustations of black and white mosaic tiles extends under the corbels of the eaves cornice. On the round of the apse, large black stars in white round disks are lined up at the upper edge. Below that, narrower bands of black triangles and diamonds in a zigzag pattern on a white background complement the decorative band. The incrustations on the sides of the choir yoke, on the other hand, consist of ribbons with the aforementioned zigzag pattern, which are offset one above the other to form rows of X-shaped crosses.
- Images Corbels of the eaves and archival capitals of the crown chapels
Eaves cornice, middle chapels, with metopes
Eaves cornice, middle chapels, with metopes
Eaves cornice, middle chapels, with metopes
Eaves cornice, southeast chapel
Eaves cornice, southeast chapel
Kragstein, David with the lion
Capital, monster heads, with tendrils from their mouths
Capital, griffins with chalice
Capitals
The sculpture of the capitals is even less uniform than the architecture. With no reused pieces, six different workshops have been identified. A number that shouldn't come as a surprise when you consider the long construction time. The work of each workshop can be grouped in precisely definable sections. As a result, essential clues for the chronological classification were discovered.
In terms of iconography, it is surprising that no chapter in the nave deals with subjects from the Bible, the Gospels or even Saint Julian. There is only one such capital in the choir. It is probably an allusion to William of Orange , whose coat of arms was kept in the church. The other scenes merely represent themes that come from the common repertoire of Romanesque sculpture in the Auvergne, as well as the characteristic motifs such as "the sheep bearer", "the showman with a monkey" or "the agony of usury". One misses completely continuous cycles, such as in Saint-Nectaire or Saint-Austremoine in Issoire.
The position of the capitals of the nave can be seen from the floor plan.
Narthex and vestibules (ground floor)
Workshop A: (without numbering) She exclusively produced leaf capitals, which can be divided into two types: One represents barren, roughly worked out aquatic plants, the other according to the same scheme, but considerably more decorative. The first can be found somewhat hidden on the walls, the second adorn the pillars facing the nave. The aquatic plants there were worked out into hardly protruding acanthus leaves. The first type of capitals have simulated cover plates under which three cubes are attached. There you can find small volutes at the edges, and flowers or small cartouches with wickerwork, a woman's head, or an antique-looking tragedy mask in the middle.
These capitals were not reused here, but were all created for this location. They have in common that the astragalus is not part of the basket. It was carved with the top stone layer of the semicircular column. This feature usually stands for old age, but it can be found here several times on clearly younger capitals of the nave. The capitals on the ground floor of the north-western porch are completely identical to those of the more unadorned ones described above.
Narthex upper floor and 1st nave yoke
Workshop B: The leaf capitals 1, 2.5 and 7 are sculpted much more profoundly. The carefully detailed leaves stand out from the ground, increasing one after the other, and their veins are criss-crossed with comma-shaped incisions.
More common here are the figure capitals such as sheep-bearers 4, 8 and 17, centaurs picking flowers 10, genii 15 and 23 riding lions , monkey 20 led by a leash, evangelist angel 19, face masks appearing in the midst of foliage.
The sculptures testify to the very different talents of their sculptors. The posture of the characters is often rigid and sometimes quite clumsy, evidence of less talent. The variants of the execution of the same topics are interesting.
You can find the topic shaft carrier three times. On the capital 17 there are shepherds of different ages, one bald and bearded, the other, visibly younger, stretches out his trains. A severed head lies on the ground between his feet. On the capital 8, instead of the sheep, donkeys lie on the backs of the porters. Both play on the pan flute , probably based on the phaidrasage . The strange idea of combining the two themes, that of the donkey playing the lyre, ancient symbol of stupidity, with that of the sheep-carrying shepherd, seems strange.
The depiction of a showman with the monkey on the capital 20 shows rather the mediocre skill of the stonemason. The monkey is tied around its neck with an oversized thick rope, which is held loosely by the showman. The monkey is crouched down even bigger than its guide. Between the two figures and behind the rope stands the spiral-shaped trunk of a plant, from which two large fanned leaves spread out on both sides. The scene is flanked left and right by a smaller figure each. On the left is a man standing and raising his arm, possibly a gesture of worship or fear. On the other is a small winged four-legged friend on a stele with a capital, presumably an idol .
On the capital 9 you can see tapes; which has been deciphered as follows: MILE ARTIFEX SRISPI (sic) TU P (E) RI (ISTI) USURA. When comparing this motif with a capital in the ambulatory of Notre-Dame du Port, which deals with the same motif, one recognizes the particular originality of the sculpture by Brioude. In Notre-Dame du Port you can see the damned usurer bound with ropes in hell. In Saint-Julien von Brioude, on the other hand, it is not the usurer, but a devil with a human face, recognizable by his wings, who holds the scroll, the text of which is translated as: “I, the Mileartifex - the devil with a thousand cunning - have written: You are on usury perished ".
The evangelist angels on the capital 19 are not depicted standing or as a bust, but rather in flight. They float above acanthus leaves in a row. Bréhier claimed to be able to read the word Juliani on one of the tapes. But it should read correctly: SCS (upside down) MARCUS and SCS MATEUS: the letters A, T and E are intertwined.
On the capital 14, two knights dressed in armor and helmets face each other. Emile Mâle can be quoted on this : “Who do these two knights, clad in mail shirts, who take up the fight with the lance represent? Isn't one of them the famous William of Gellone, the hero of the epic from the Garin de Montglaine saga? ” In fact, according to legend, William had come to Brioude and placed his shield on the altar of Saint-Julien before he entered the monastery of Gellone. The pilgrims who made the pilgrimage to Brioude on the ancient Via Regordana were aware of this.
2. Langhausjoch
Workshop C, of the Giraldus : The nine capitals, all with the same fighter plate, come from the same workshop, the shape of which differs slightly from the previously described. Typical of the Giraldus workshop are two parallel grooves instead of one above the sloping edge of the fighter, as well as the illusion of concave cover plates with trimmed corners that are visible from all sides. The motifs of this workshop are: eagles with wings outstretched 26, two griffins standing on either side of a chalice 25, dragons 28 and 29, and tritons 32. These motifs can often be found in the lower Auvergne.
The Giraldus workshop is characterized by a remarkable decorative design language and skillful use of the chisel. The sculptor understands his artistic craft. The human figure is not stylized by him, but represented largely true to life. The sirens 30 and tritons 32 face each other on both sides of the central nave. They were carved with a great skill that has three-dimensional formations and subtleties that the previous workshop had missed. Comparisons with similar capitals in Chanteuges lead to the conclusion that the same sculptors worked in both churches. The capitals of Brioude seem to have been made around 1140.
There is also a hypothesis that the capitals of workshop C were also made by the same Giraldus who signed the bronze knockers of the south-eastern porch. The similarities of the ape-like head of the devil on the door knocker with those of the dragons of the capital 28 are surprising. Why shouldn't the same Giraldus have worked in stone as in bronze?
Naked male figures are depicted on capitals 34, 35 and 36, all on the NE pillar. On one of them, two winged geniuses carry a naked man in their arms each in flight. This strange depiction has been compared to certain Roman sculptures in connection with the Kaiser apotheose , which seems to be entirely correct. However, the interpretation as " Ascension of the elect " is absurd . With this capital, only the amazing iconography is of interest, not the very modest quality of execution.
Comparable naked figures can be found on Chapter 36 on the northwest wall. The monster depicted, whose head occupies the center of the basket, grasps two naked men by their legs. Just spewed out by the monster, coiled snakes lick their heads. Clearly visible gender, snakes and symbols of hell possibly point to the obvious explanation: "The punishment of fornication".
On the capital 35 a battle line-up is shown in rank and file. The scene is overloaded with soldiers, wearing helmets and chain mail, who are obviously fighting over the bound, naked body of a man. In the right background a woman is blowing a horn while she is propping herself on a shield. In terms of motif and execution, the capital is reminiscent of that with number 14, with a representation of fighting knights. Presumably it is still an episode of the "hero poem", which belongs to the legends of William of Orange.
3rd and 4th Langhausjoch
Workshop D: This workshop again only sculpted foliage capitals. Some are very simple with smooth leaves. Its strong relief and the unity of its lines give it a monumental appearance. The others, all on the north-west side, are differentiated. Realistic masks occupy the center of the basket over two rows of acanthus leaves , which are flanked by palmettes in the corners. These capitals are among the most beautiful in the church. Two capitals differ significantly from this group. It could be reused parts, they are next to each other on the third southwest pillar. The capital 48 represents two sirens, the capital 47 a Minotaur between two musicians. The capital 54 shows an enthroned Christ and is of modern origin.
Choir, ambulatory and wreath chapels
The four capitals of the semicircular apse are to be viewed separately, as they presumably originate from the previous church. In their bulk, as it were swollen, with leaves barely protruding from the basket, they by no means show the lightness and suppleness of the works of the crossing, in which the sculptors knew how to use the stone drill technique with great virtuosity. The capital on the north side of the choir bay, dedicated to the visit of the women to the tomb of Christ, has no reference to any other capital of the church, especially not the choir. It is the only capital in the church with a narrative motif. Its somewhat stiff style is also unique, entirely in line with the traditional line of the Romanesque Auvergne, perhaps a reuse?
The more than 125 small-volume capitals remain in the corridor and its crown chapels. They are populated by a multitude of mythical creatures, such as winged lions, dragons, griffins and bow thrilling centaurs. This bestiary, its selection and forms are Romansh through and through.
Crossing
An apparently different workshop worked in the crossing. It is characterized by extensive use of the stone drill. The foliage has little relief. The ribbed leaves draw parallel grooves between which carefully crafted incisions are made that form palmettes in the interior of the leaves. Occasionally one sees very expressive human heads worked with the greatest care. You can also see small masks and some fantastic motifs, such as a bearded head whose ears are being eaten by two rodents.
Capital on pilaster, central nave
Capital, coiled monsters (?)
Chapter 34, Genii carry floating naked person (left)
Chapter 34, Genii carry floating naked person (right)
Wall paintings / frescoes
The interior of Saint-Julien was - at least partially - painted. Our ancestors were not particularly impressed by the natural stone masonry, which is now perceived as beautiful, its warm, lively color tones and its carefully assembled masonry bonds. Early on after its completion, the masonry was therefore covered with plaster covered with paintings.
In 1957 only the significant and extensive frescoes in the Michael's Chapel, on the upper floor of the southeastern Narthexjoch, were visible. The frescoes suffered from the less professional renovation work of the 19th century. Also in 1957, professional stripping of the walls uncovered around 140 square meters of additional frescoes, albeit largely fragmentary. However, these parts have not suffered any further damage and have retained all the freshness of their original colors
Chapel of the Archangel Michael
The Michaelskapelle was established about a hundred years after the gallery floor was built. It was created by inserting a partition wall as an extension of the southwestern central nave wall. Its walls and ceiling have been completely painted with frescoes. Since then, the chapel has served as a lay-out for the Count's canons after their death.
In the center of the vault is a majestic Christ enthroned in a mandorla, which is surrounded by the four evangelist symbols. Almost a hundred angels have gathered on both sides. The archangels Michael and Gabriel , who watch over the execution of God's judgments, stand out from the others. A terrifying hell was painted on the north-western partition, in whose licking red flames Satan dwells, in the dramatic form of an ashen, pale greenish giant. The painter has succeeded in depicting the fall of Satan that has just taken place, who then hatefully raises his bestial head. The devil's defeat in no way prevents his henchmen from fueling the fire with new damned ones.
On the windowsills of the struggle of the virtues against the vices after Psychomachia of Prudentius shown. The virtues are depicted as peaceful women in foot-length robes.
Around the southeast window the viewer participates in the obviously easy victory of humility over pride, patience over anger and love over desire. Around the southwest window you can see Faith, Hope and probably Mercy. Not all of the inscriptions can be deciphered.
An extremely rare theme is depicted on the southwest wall, on both sides of the window: two magnificently clad people receive the crown of the chosen ones.
A kind of frieze stretches the length of the chapel with depictions of atlases, beams and workers carrying tools.
First yokes of the nave
The remains of the much more extensive painting, discovered in 1957, have retained the freshness of their coloring and the particular clarity of their lines and are predominantly of high artistic value.
The northwest wall of the first yoke was completely painted. At the very top, on both sides of the window, there is a wide decorative strip on a midnight blue background with a pattern of leaves in lively, warm colors. The ocher-colored leaves are bordered and spotted with white. The fresh colors surprise in their almost modern way. Without knowing the place of their origin, one would hardly attribute this painting to the Romanesque.
Just below it are two large-format figures with outspread wings, of which only the upper body has been preserved, the Archangel Michael on the left and another angel on the right. The beautiful face shows hierarchical features, of great purity. The colors also have to be admired, especially those of the wings in soft gray and muted red.
The field below is separated by a decorative strip. A folded band is particularly noticeable on a black background, with masterfully controlled color contrasts and perspective representation. The lower field has only fragmentary representations, it was filled with large horses facing each other. The one on the right played the harp. The head of the left one is exceptionally well preserved. The neck and head are in pink tones, the large, wide-open, almond-shaped eyes shine in white with a large blue pupil. Movement can be seen in the fluttering mane.
Significant fragments of painting have also been preserved on three rows of pillars, including those of the narthex. The strong structure of the pillars, however, did not allow any large-format decoration. This problem did not prevent painters from presenting a wide variety of decorative motifs, such as ribbons, wickerwork, tendrils and draperies . The compositions only become more comprehensive about a third of the height of the pillars. The artists were completely free in their choice of topics. The topic of “bestiary” is often represented. The SW side of the SW pillar is one of the best preserved frescoes. Here a total of six slim, high stripes of the pillar core were to be painted on the side of the semicircular column. All of them show a lavish decor of tendrils and ribbons, which have been formed in diverse geometric figures with amazing perspective effects. The folds of the ribbons change from ocher to pink, blue and gray. The tendrils begin above the fighter plate of the capital. At the edges they grow out of the huge mouth of a devilish mask. The semicircular column shows an unusual design: two large, opposing Mantelpaviane with aubergine shells on a white background. A small sign between the two bears the words: B (RIV) AS, Brioude (?).
The opposite side of the pillar, just below the capital of the central belt arch, presents a caricature-like human profile, not modeled, only black lines drawn with virtuosity impressively sketch the face. The oversized white eye, with a black, staggered pupil, is shown frontally, despite the profile view, and is as unrealistic as possible. The latter also applies to the beak-like pinched lips and stubborn chin. The representation only knows four colors: gray ocher for the skin, black for the contours, white for the eye and brown for the hair.
The first north-west pillar of the central nave bears a frieze with eight saints under a blind arch. One figure each covers a semicircular column or both sides of the pillars' core edges, which run over the center of the figure's body and face. From the former inscriptions only those of Aaron and Isaiah are legibly preserved.
This pillar also has beautifully designed chimeras .
On the first south-west pillar of the central nave, the enigmatic scene shows a rider who has fallen from his horse. The punishment of pride could be meant here (?).
In any case, the frescoes in the first two bays of the central nave and those of the Michael's Chapel were created by different workshops. The painting of the chapel is believed to date from the end of the 12th century, whereas the frescoes in the central nave are probably around 50 years older.
Fresco, ribbon and angel
Frescoes, northwest Central nave pillar
Fresco, curtains
Equipment of the church
The chapter of Saint-Julien in Brioude, keeper of the pilgrimages to the saint's tomb, had amassed immeasurable riches over time, such as images of the martyr made of gold, valuable reliquaries made of gold and ivory , precious silks, tapestries and others. All these values were lost in the course of the revolution.
What remains are some artistically valuable pieces of equipment from post-Romanesque epochs:
This includes the large, impressive crucifix from the 15th century. It emerged from the leprosy of La Payasse , which at times led to the name " Christ lépreux " ("The Leper Christ"). It has been on display in the southwest aisle for several years. It is obviously a local work, in the tradition of the large wooden crosses since the Romanesque in Auvergne.
The “Madonna and Child” , made of gilded wood, placed in the north-western aisle, next to the sacristy, belongs to the Gothic era . Another Madonna is a "virgin giving birth," a rare iconographic subject.
The high altar has stood in its current location in the choir since 1854. His “grave” is reminiscent of the pilgrimage of Charles VI. to Brioude. At that time it was enlarged and restored. Its original place was one of the chapels in which Hugo IV von Collonges , the dean of the chapter (died 1713) had it installed.
In the cross chapel on the north-western side aisle, a beautiful passion scene can be seen from a group of wooden statues from the 17th century. It is a high-quality sculpture by the sculptor Vanneau , which, after being removed during the Revolution in 1821, was put back in its original location.
Crucifix 15th century
Shrine of Saint Julien
Madonna and Child
Madonna and Child
literature
- Ulrich Rosenbaum: Auvergne and Massif Central. Cologne 1989, ISBN 3-7701-1111-7 , pp. 163–166, fig. 31, 73,74.
- Bernhard Craplet: Romanesque Auvergne. Echter Verlag , Würzburg 1992, ISBN 3-429-01463-8 , pp. 257–179, figs. 91–108 and, p. 169.
Web links
- Basilique Saint-Julien de Brioude in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
- at art-roman.net (French article, many pictures, including frescoes)
- at route-romane.net (pictures)
Individual evidence
- ^ Basilique Saint-Julien on gcatholic.org
Coordinates: 45 ° 17 ′ 37 ″ N , 3 ° 23 ′ 4 ″ E