Cathdrale Saint Tienne D39Auxerre
| Cathedral Saint-tienne d'Auxerre | ||
|---|---|---|
| | ||
| Cathedral Saint-tienne d'Auxerre | ||
| Contact | 47 47 '52 "North 3 34 '22 "East / 47.7979, 3.5729 | |
| Country | | |
| Region | Burgundy | |
| Department | Yonne | |
| City | Auxerre | |
| Worship | Roman Catholic | |
| Type | Cathedral | |
| Attached to | Archdiocese of Sens-Auxerre (co-headquarters) | |
| Construction begins | 1215 | |
| Work Completed | XVI century | |
| Style (s) dominating (s) | Gothic Novel (crypt) | |
| Protection | Historic Monument ( 1840 ) | |
| Location | ||
| change | ||
Cathedral Saint-Etienne of Auxerre is a Cathedral Roman Catholic French , located in the town of Auxerre in the Yonne department.
Style of Gothic , it is also a monument French listed since 1840. It is dedicated to St. Stephen the first martyr.
Still hidden from public view, the cathedral is worth a thorough visit, was not only to admire the choir , a jewel of Gothic lanceolata in the first half of the thirteenth century and the beautiful stained glass and other outstanding art treasures its apsidal chapel and the ambulatory. If one adds to this the remarkable sculpture of gates , the three great rose windows and other windows in the sixteenth century, the magnificent facades of the transepts , the crypt , the frescoed medieval and other things, we are persuaded that easily the building is an undeniable masterpiece of Gothic in the northern half of France.
Summary |
History
The present cathedral is the fifth sanctuaries that have taken place since the fifth century. To replace the original church became too small, St. Amtre (circa 386-418) built a new larger church at the site of the existing building. Bishop Desiderius said Saint Didier d'Auxerre (603-621), added to his church apse decorated with a mosaic on a gold background to the example of one of Syagrius at Autun . This building was totally destroyed by fire in the late ninth century.
The third temple was built during the episcopate of Hrifried (887-909). It is also a fire that destroyed the cathedral in 1023, and also that much of the city.
A Romanesque cathedral was then built by Hugh de Chalon. The new church, built of stone was dedicated in 1057. His choir, flanked by two towers, was based on a crypt which served as the base because of the slope towards the Yonne.
Building the Gothic cathedral: 1220-1550
The construction of the present cathedral began in 1215 under the episcopate of William de Seignelay , based on the vast Roman building which still exists today, the crypt of the eleventh century. The demolition and construction drove off simultaneously at the chorus (above the crypt) and the south tower of the great west front. But the successors of William Seignelay were much less enthusiastic than he, and the work moved forward slowly.
In 1235 however, following the Bishops of Henri de Villeneuve (1220-1234), the shell of the choir was finished. It began when the installation of the windows of the ambulatory, which did not end until about 1250. It then drove off as the work of the western facade and the nave, but very slowly.
At the end of the thirteenth century, they had to perform work of consolidation of the choir, due to a problem of balance of forces. In 1300, construction was begun on the south transept transept portal which is dedicated to St. Stephen. The tympanum of the portal was carved around 1320.
The destruction of the old nave Romanesque , to raise the nave Gothic , took place in early fourteenth century. After which the nave was erected in the years 1320-1350 and from 1345 to 1355, we realized the side chapels of the aisles of the nave. But the vicissitudes of time, related to the Hundred Years War delayed the construction, so the aisle south was not completed until about 1378.
The installation of the windows of the nave was from 1390 to 1410, and in 1403 the cathedral chapter ordered the carpenter Odon Gauthier doors of the west facade.
Thus, the early fifteenth century the north transept and towers had not yet been undertaken. It is true that the construction was severely disrupted by the Hundred Years War.
In 1415: start of construction of the north transept. The portal of the transept was consecrated to the saints of the church of Auxerre, in particular St. Germain , St. and Locust St. Amtre. It is considered that the tympanum of the portal of this cross was carved around 1415. But the construction of the north arm that was not completed during the episcopate of John Bailey III (1477-1513).
In 1478 occurred the construction of the vaults of the nave in 1500, we finally began the work of the north tower. The second level of the latter ended in 1525 under the episcopate of Francis I of Dinteville (bishop from 1513 to 1530).
1528: Laying the canopy and the canopy of the Litany of Our Lady of the north transept conducted by Michel Germain.
In 1543 the north tower was finally completed under the episcopate of Francis II Dinteville (1530-1554), nephew of his predecessor.
In 1550, we placed the glass roof of the south transept (central oculus representing God the Father and 8 lancets on the history of Moses) and the canopy of the western facade. The two windows are the work of master glass artist William Cornish.
From 1567 to the Revolution
At that time the religious wars put an end to any hope of one day finish the facade of the cathedral (the south tower). In 1567 , Protestants began to sack the city. The building had to suffer so that by 1576, the Bishop Jacques Amyot (1571-1593) had undertaken the restoration of the cathedral, including the canopies of the choir.
And construction, remained unfinished, spanned more than three centuries, the south tower was never built.
In 1764 the rood screen Renaissance due to Francis I of Dinteville was destroyed and replaced by the gates of the choir, the work of Parisian blacksmith Dhumier with doors due to Sebastien-Antoine Slodtz on drawings of Claude-Nicolas Ledoux.
The Revolution caused incalculable damage to the building and its furniture. It suppressed the diocese in 1790 and soon were transformed into Saint-Etienne Temple of Reason. We dismounted stalls and racks installed in the choir in a theater seating for ceremonies Republican. Masterpieces of silver were sent to the cast. The beautiful statue of St. Stephen dying, near the high altar , designed by Louis-Claude Vasse , escaped destruction because we then had an agonizing Marat in his bath. The windows were threatened with destruction, but as their replacement by clear glass would cost too much, the decision was not happily ever made. Finally, the crypt was used as a cellar to the prefect of the department occupying the premises of the palace nearby.
From 1801 to Today
In 1840, with Prosper Merimee , Saint-Etienne was listed buildings classified historic monument. Major restoration work took place throughout the nineteenth century. Eugne Viollet-le-Duc restored the crypt from 1844 to 1848. He conducts consolidation batteries, restitution berries home, paving the ground.
In 1866 started a major campaign to restore the Gothic cathedral, under the direction of architect Pieplu. The windows were restored or supplemented from 1866 to 1880 by the glassmakers Vessire brothers, and again in 1925-1930 by David.
The war of 1870 was marked by the firing of a dozen Prussian cannonballs on the cathedral. One of them unfortunately came to spray the beautiful canopy of bedside right of the central chapel, dating from the first half of the thirteenth century.
Since 2001, a campaign of general restoration of the cathedral is in progress. It is funded by the state, the region of Burgundy, the Yonne department and the city of Auxerre. This campaign is about including the covers of the sanctuary and the restoration of the great west front, and especially the restoration of the three portals and their statuary. This phase should be completed late 2008.
Dimensions
- The Gothic-style building with an outside length of 100 meters
- Face Width: 40 meters
- Height of the north tower completed in the sixteenth century : 68 feet (69 meters cons for Notre Dame de Paris )
- Diameter of the rosette West: 7 feet (9.6 meters to Paris )
- Interior length: 98 meters.
- Vault height of the nave and choir: 30 feet (33.5 meters in Paris )
- Vault height of the aisles: 13 meters
- Ridge of the roof of the nave and choir: 42 meters
- Diameter columns of the chapel of the Virgin: 0.25 meters
- Width of the nave of the nave: 12 meters (13.5 per cons of Notre-Dame de Paris )
Exterior
The western facade
Triangular profile, the main facade of the building is unbalanced by the absence of the south tower, whose base is covered with a makeshift roof.
The facade is divided vertically into three parts, with four buttresses many highlights. Part north side (or left) is divided into five stages, the latter forming the north tower itself or steeple. The central part of the facade for its part comprises three levels: portal , rose window and gable. Finally the south side portion provided to form the south tower includes only the level of the ground floor occupied by a gate and the second level and the third part to the height of pinion center.
The west facade has a large floral hooks, arranged in vertical stripes, seeded or carpet. On the ground floor or first level of the facade are three gates separated by massive buttresses.
Underlying the central part of the facade, the central portal, very imposing, has a huge gable pierced the upper part partially mask a nice rosette set back and with a diameter of 7 meters more or less. The archivolt thereof extends to the whole area of the facade between the two towers. Above the canopy stands the third and final level of the central part of the facade, consisting of a pinion flamboyant style. A balustrade and a half gallery overcome it and are the beginnings of a link between the two towers, never completed because of lack of south tower.
Towers
The north tower and turret
Begun around 1250, the works of construction of the north tower fell down quickly, and shortly after construction of the portal located at the base, n'avancrent little over two centuries. It is only the beginning of the sixteenth century that we take seriously the completion of the western facade, and more particularly to the construction of the north tower. Produced and largely in flamboyant style, the construction of the tower was completed in 1543.
As tall as the towers of Notre-Dame de Paris, the imposing and massive structure, which is also the tower of the cathedral, contains five levels. Above the portal which occupies the lower level, rise three levels of empty niches surmounted by small gables. The fifth and final level houses the bells. The roof terrace is landscaped quadrangle bordered by a railing. The heaviness of the silhouette of the tower is largely mitigated by the extension to the top of the foothills of angle, although extra decorated and crowned by majestic pinnacles.
At its north-east, the tower is lined along its entire height by a large and powerful octagonal crenellated turret and is one with the tower. She has a long spiral staircase from ground floor to the top. This turret is wearing a very elegant Renaissance steeple topped by a lantern , itself with a cross forming the top of the cathedral.
The South Tower
The south tower would have been similar to the north tower, as evidenced by the existing part which is symmetrical. But only the first two levels were completed. Its foundations are solid, however, particularly if cyclopean. On the ground floor to the right of vast narthex after the gate, the wall of the south face of this tower is thicker than four meters, which must be added the foothills of angles greatly exceeding both meters . This huge wall extends eastward at the first bay of the nave, occupying the entire space for the side chapel of the bay. At the narthex , a spiral staircase is encased in a gigantic mass of rock.
The western portals
All the statues of the three gates was made very resistant limestone of the region of Thunder. The sculpture of the portals of the cathedral of Auxerre, despite the depredations suffered because of the Huguenots in the sixteenth century, is most interesting is one of the finest masterpieces of sculpture from the thirteenth century.
Central portal or portal of the Last Judgement
The tympanum of the central portal is dedicated to the Last Judgement. Christ the Judge is seated between the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist kneeling. The piers , which are the wise virgins and foolish virgins, is connected with this theme because they are presented to the call amount of the Last Judgement , which appears in header.
The arches contain statues of the apostles. They are decorated with 66 scenes.
The niches contain statues beheaded foundations in the sixteenth century by the Huguenots and unidentifiable. The lower part of the basement is carved bas-reliefs in the form of medallions. These are beautiful and delicate little masterpieces of sculpture from the Middle Age (XIII century). There is the story of Joseph to the left and the parable of the prodigal right. Some of these reliefs contain people related to ancient pagan : it shows a particular Eros sleeping, a young satyr , a Hercules.
The right portal
Located on the first level of what should be the south tower, it is the oldest gate of the building, since, like the first level of the south tower, dating from the first phase of construction Cathedral at the beginning of the thirteenth.
The eardrum like arches recount episodes from the childhood of Christ, and life of John the Baptist. The tympanum is divided into three registers. The top one represents the decapitation (beheading) of the prophet and the surrender of his head to Salome , daughter of Herodias. In the middle, we are witnessing the baptism of Christ. Finally the lower register reproduces scenes from the childhood of John the Baptist : the Visitation , the Nativity , the Circumcision. The bases are decorated with various scenes, such as love of Bathsheba and David. You can also see statues symbolizing the philosophy and the seven liberal arts.
To the right of the gate, a high relief of significant size represents the trial of Solomon .
The left portal
The tympanum represents the crowning of the Virgin Mary by his son, Christ.
The sculptures of arching recount episodes from the life of Virgin Mary, St. Joachim , father, and Saint Anne , her mother.
At the lower level of the north portal, you can see some very fine bas-reliefs depicting the Genesis or Creation of the world. The high quality representations of plants, animals and humans tend to show the splendor of the original world. The original sin has corrupted God's work. The Noah's ark is the symbol of salvation and the help that God gives to men.
The north faade and the north transept portal
Between the north tower, and transepts , the nave is supported by four buttresses separating the five bays. The abutments of the latter are surmounted by pinnacles. As everywhere around the cathedral, each buttress is slatted. The latter, which amounts are very tight, supports a chaperone -resistant, thick enough to help consolidate the buttress.
Note that the gutters executives who are descended from the long gallery that runs along the base of the roof of the building, throw water on their chaperones buttresses whose back has a gutter that after passing up the abutments ends with a long gargoyle. This pattern of drainage of the roof can be found anywhere else in the nave, choir and transepts.
The abutment of the fourth buttress of the nave, just before the transept, supporting two arches, one supporting the nave and the other transept. Between the abutments, the windows of the side chapels have almost every shape and different size.
The facade of the north transept, is quite "classical" in that it answers - such as the southern facade - a pattern found in most other major Gothic sanctuaries in northern France, as Chartres , Amiens and Paris.
Sandwiched between two powerful buttresses corner, she ran about 45 meters in height.
The lower part of the frontage is occupied by an imposing gateway framing a door with two leaves and pier Central. The gate is crowned with a high gable -style still beaming. The upper half is occupied by an immense canopy of flamboyant style, with its top a rose above a skylight to eight lancets. The whole is crowned by a beautiful gable triangle, too flamboyant, flanked by two carved very high darts.
The portal of the facade is devoted to the holy bishops of Auxerre, especially Pilgrim St. , St. Amtre , and especially St. Germain l'Auxerrois , whose life and miracles are represented on the tympanum. The statue of Saint Germain once adorned the pier of the gate. The portal of the transept is also directed to Abbey Saint-Germain, which currently keeps the body of the saint.
In the angle formed by the north transept and choir of the cathedral stands a square turret, containing a spiral staircase linking the ground floor with the upper parts of the building. Crenellated full height, this tower is topped by a lovely peaked roof shaped octagonal steeple.
The portal south transept
Inside the cathedral
Chorus
The architecture of the choir is outstanding. Built from 1215 to 1245, it is a pure masterpiece of Gothic religious art.
It consists of four bays and a straight rectangular chamber deep to 7 sections (12 m). Like the nave and transept, its elevation is three floors (main arches, clerestory windows and high blind). Behind the clerestory adorned with a graceful and delicate colonnade, is a gallery. The columns of the main arches are topped by capitals with vegetal motifs. Some, including those of the apse are very thin and cylindrical. The whole gives an impression of grace and lightness.
The choir is closed by a fine grid of Louis XV style, crafted by Antoine-Sebastien Slodtz (brother of Michael Angelo Slodtz ). There are also stalls from the sixteenth century, and an altar surmounted by a marble statue representing the stoning of St. Stephen, the work of Louis-Claude Vasse.
The nave The elevation of the nave has three levels: large arcades, clerestory windows and high blind.
In contrast to the choir, built much earlier, the nave is of a Gothic. There is therefore no capitals at the columns of the main arches.
Shorter and more massive than the choir, the clerestory of the nave is composed of two groups of twin arches and trefoil per bay. Each group is topped by an oculus or quatrefoil tracery. The clerestory and leaves more room for large clerestory composed entirely of stained glass.
Preceded by a large narthex , the nave has five bays oblong (rectangular) and is bordered by its two aisles which open on eight side chapels (4 north and 4 south). These date from the fourteenth century. The vaults date from the following century. The windows are fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The rose window of the facade, the XVI too, was laid in 1550 and refers to the heavenly concert. It is due to William Cornish.
The three levels of elevation of the nave. The columns of the main arches are devoid of capitals , unlike those of the chorus, which can be seen in the background
The side chapels of the nave
The side chapels of the nave were not part of the original plan of the building. Each collateral sees opening corresponding to the four chapels spans 2 through 5, above the transept.
The chronology of the last three chapels south aisle (third, fourth and fifth bays) is not well established. However, we agree to say that all are of the fourteenth century (roughly the 1340s?) And that the construction of the Saint-Andre (second chapel, third bay) would come after that of Saint-Germain ( third chapel in the fourth bay). Although the chapel of Sainte-Anne (fourth and fifth last chapel bay) is still difficult to place in the history of the cathedral, some think (Harry Titus of Wake Forest University) she is the oldest The transept The wide windows of the transept roses north and south of the sixteenth century, like that of the west facade. They are due the best artists in the region. Michel Germain is realized that the canopy and the canopy of the north transept, which was laid in 1528. As for the windows of the south arm, they are due to William Cornish and date from 1550.
The south transept
The south transept transept, along two rectangular bays, has an elevation similar to the choir. At the eastern wall, in addition to the large arches opening on the ambulatory, there is the bar fine clerestory very different from that of the nave, as well as high bay formed by two lancets surmounted by a rose. At the Western Wall, the clerestory is also similar to that of the choir, that is to say, fine columns. Note that the element of the cross is sexpartite.
The back wall, corresponding to the faade Gothic Southern Cathedral has in its upper part with a superb and extensive canopy including a beautiful rose to ten branches crowning a high clerestory eight lancets. Put the rose in 1550 represents God the Father in the heavenly powers, while the skeleton tells the story of Moses.
It is interesting to know that building this south transept has consumed alone nearly 5 tons of lead , mainly because of its large glass rose window with which the connections are made entirely with metal (about 2.5 tonnes of lead to this level only) .
Under these big windows, in addition to the door of entry for the portal is a network of blind arches of very good looks. They flanked the statues now missing. It remains carved pedestals that are true works of art.
The north transept
The north transept is the top of the western facade and tower, the last part of the building to be built. Its completion date of the last quarter of the fifteenth century. With two spans, as the south transept, is covered with two quadripartite vaults. Its facade is of a flaming. Its back wall also comprises a huge canopy consists of a rosette and a flaming skeleton eight lancets, all with very beautiful stained glass windows. Escutcheon, said escutcheon of the Litany of the Virgin, raised in 1528, presents a series of figures relating to the Virgin Mary.
The east wall has the same elevation as the chorus, but the clerestory to fine colonnade is present than at the first bay. The Western Wall, in turn is structurally similar to that of the nave is decorated with a clerestory similar to this one. This triforium adorns the two spans of the cross.
Near the door stands a statue of Joan of Arc , who went to Auxerre in 1429, the sculptor Vigorous and dated 1920.
The crypt
The crypt Romanesque of the eleventh century is located under the choir of the cathedral. It is accessed through the southern part of the ambulatory of the high church (that is to say the right of the choir). The crypt, which dates from 1023, is the remaining part of the Romanesque cathedral that preceded the current . It has an interior length of 37 meters The crypt has a nave with three aisles to vault and a bedside round. The whole is surrounded by a walkway , too arched ridges, which opens a chapel apse vaulted dead-furnace. Between these vessels amounted massive columns.
The apsidal chapel or axial distinguished by its magnificent frescoes of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
One can admire a fresco Romanesque (early twelfth or more likely mid XII) representing a large cross, four angels on horseback housed in the center medallion and a beautiful Christ on a white horse. The interpretation of these frescoes is enigmatic passage of Christ on the cross or appearance of the King of Kings, the horseman of the Apocalypse of St. John ?
On the vault in a cul-de-four of the chapel of the crypt, one can also admire a Christ in Majesty (late thirteenth).
The axial chapel and the ambulatory, are equipped with windows opening to the outside. This is due to the sloping terrain on which the cathedral is built, and which slopes gradually toward the bed of the river Yonne to the east of the building .
Treasure
The treasure has many illuminated manuscripts, ivories, wood carvings, silver work, and a beautiful collection of Limoges enameled reliquaries.
The organ
The organ, Gilles-Jean-Michel, and international reputation was made in 1986 by the organ maker Oberthur Dominique.
Gallery
View of the apse of the cathedral. In the foreground, the Yonne with its marina and its boats.
References
- Website of the Cathedral of Auxerre - History
- Structurae.de Site: History of the Cathedral of Auxerre
- Labbe: Nova Biblitheca manuscriptorum, t.II, by Anatole P.423.Cit Charming in: Prieur Saint-Racho-lez-Autun , p.2. Aeduan memory of society, TX
- See Plan of the Cathedral of Auxerre
- The south portal and the Judgement of Solomon - Photo
- Bulletin of the Center for Medieval Studies of Auxerre - Operations archaeological 2006-2007
- Bulletin of the Center for Medieval Studies of Auxerre (2006-2007)
- Map of the cathedral - where the crypt compared to the choir
- Map of the crypt of Saint-tienne d'Auxerre
- drawing very precise bedside and bays of the crypt of the cathedral, made in 1857
Notes
See also
- French Cathedrals
- Auxerre
- List of bishops and archbishops French in 1748
- French Catholic districts since 2002
- List of bishops of Auxerre
External Links
- (En) Site of the Cathedral of Auxerre
- (En) Fact of the Ministry of Culture
- (En) Sheet on the site Structurae.de
- (En) Sheet on the site in the Western Religious Architecture
- (En) Map of the Cathedral of Auxerre
- (En) The St. Stephen's Cathedral opens its doors
- (En) Viollet-le-Duc - Dictionary of Architecture
- Photos and floor plans of the cathedral of Auxerre
Bibliography
- Friends of the Cathedral Saint-Etienne of Auxerre, Saint-Etienne Cathedral of Auxerre, Auxerre ( ISBN 2-914168-05-5 )
- Collombet Francis, the most beautiful cathedrals in France, Slection du Readers Digest, Paris (France), 1997 ( ISBN 2-7098-0888-9 ), p. 146-151.
- Denizeau, Gerard, History of Visual Arts in France, Larousse, Paris, 2003 ( ISBN 2-03-505201-7 ), p. 104.
- Erlande-Brandenburg Alain , History of French Architecture (Volume 1), ed. Heritage, Mengs, Paris, 1995 ( ISBN 2-856203671 )
- Kimpel, Dieter, Gothic Architecture in France 1130-1270, Flammarion, Paris, 1990 ( ISBN 2-08-010970-7 )
- Sauerland, Willibald, Le Monde Gothic Gallimard. Online Forms, Paris, 1989 ( ISBN 2-07-011172-5 )
- Titus, Jr., Harry B., "The Auxerre Cathedral Chevet and Burgundian Gothic Architecture," in Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, n. 1, v. 47.
The chronology of the last three chapels south aisle (third, fourth and fifth bays) is not well established. However, we agree to say that all are of the fourteenth century (roughly the 1340s?) And that the construction of the Saint-Andre (second chapel, third bay) would come after that of Saint-Germain ( third chapel in the fourth bay). Although the chapel of Sainte-Anne (fourth and fifth last chapel bay) is still difficult to place in the history of the cathedral, some think (Harry Titus of Wake Forest University) she is the oldest The transept
The wide windows of the transept roses north and south of the sixteenth century, like that of the west facade. They are due the best artists in the region. Michel Germain is realized that the canopy and the canopy of the north transept, which was laid in 1528. As for the windows of the south arm, they are due to William Cornish and date from 1550.
The south transept
The south transept transept, along two rectangular bays, has an elevation similar to the choir. At the eastern wall, in addition to the large arches opening on the ambulatory, there is the bar fine clerestory very different from that of the nave, as well as high bay formed by two lancets surmounted by a rose. At the Western Wall, the clerestory is also similar to that of the choir, that is to say, fine columns. Note that the element of the cross is sexpartite.
The back wall, corresponding to the faade Gothic Southern Cathedral has in its upper part with a superb and extensive canopy including a beautiful rose to ten branches crowning a high clerestory eight lancets. Put the rose in 1550 represents God the Father in the heavenly powers, while the skeleton tells the story of Moses.
It is interesting to know that building this south transept has consumed alone nearly 5 tons of lead , mainly because of its large glass rose window with which the connections are made entirely with metal (about 2.5 tonnes of lead to this level only) .
Under these big windows, in addition to the door of entry for the portal is a network of blind arches of very good looks. They flanked the statues now missing. It remains carved pedestals that are true works of art.
The north transept
The north transept is the top of the western facade and tower, the last part of the building to be built. Its completion date of the last quarter of the fifteenth century. With two spans, as the south transept, is covered with two quadripartite vaults. Its facade is of a flaming. Its back wall also comprises a huge canopy consists of a rosette and a flaming skeleton eight lancets, all with very beautiful stained glass windows. Escutcheon, said escutcheon of the Litany of the Virgin, raised in 1528, presents a series of figures relating to the Virgin Mary.
The east wall has the same elevation as the chorus, but the clerestory to fine colonnade is present than at the first bay. The Western Wall, in turn is structurally similar to that of the nave is decorated with a clerestory similar to this one. This triforium adorns the two spans of the cross.
Near the door stands a statue of Joan of Arc , who went to Auxerre in 1429, the sculptor Vigorous and dated 1920.
The crypt
The crypt Romanesque of the eleventh century is located under the choir of the cathedral. It is accessed through the southern part of the ambulatory of the high church (that is to say the right of the choir). The crypt, which dates from 1023, is the remaining part of the Romanesque cathedral that preceded the current . It has an interior length of 37 meters The crypt has a nave with three aisles to vault and a bedside round. The whole is surrounded by a walkway , too arched ridges, which opens a chapel apse vaulted dead-furnace. Between these vessels amounted massive columns.
The apsidal chapel or axial distinguished by its magnificent frescoes of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
One can admire a fresco Romanesque (early twelfth or more likely mid XII) representing a large cross, four angels on horseback housed in the center medallion and a beautiful Christ on a white horse. The interpretation of these frescoes is enigmatic passage of Christ on the cross or appearance of the King of Kings, the horseman of the Apocalypse of St. John ?
On the vault in a cul-de-four of the chapel of the crypt, one can also admire a Christ in Majesty (late thirteenth).
The axial chapel and the ambulatory, are equipped with windows opening to the outside. This is due to the sloping terrain on which the cathedral is built, and which slopes gradually toward the bed of the river Yonne to the east of the building .
Treasure
The treasure has many illuminated manuscripts, ivories, wood carvings, silver work, and a beautiful collection of Limoges enameled reliquaries.
The organ
The organ, Gilles-Jean-Michel, and international reputation was made in 1986 by the organ maker Oberthur Dominique.
Gallery
View of the apse of the cathedral. In the foreground, the Yonne with its marina and its boats.
References
- Website of the Cathedral of Auxerre - History
- Structurae.de Site: History of the Cathedral of Auxerre
- Labbe: Nova Biblitheca manuscriptorum, t.II, by Anatole P.423.Cit Charming in: Prieur Saint-Racho-lez-Autun , p.2. Aeduan memory of society, TX
- See Plan of the Cathedral of Auxerre
- The south portal and the Judgement of Solomon - Photo
- Bulletin of the Center for Medieval Studies of Auxerre - Operations archaeological 2006-2007
- Bulletin of the Center for Medieval Studies of Auxerre (2006-2007)
- Map of the cathedral - where the crypt compared to the choir
- Map of the crypt of Saint-tienne d'Auxerre
- drawing very precise bedside and bays of the crypt of the cathedral, made in 1857
Notes
See also
- French Cathedrals
- Auxerre
- List of bishops and archbishops French in 1748
- French Catholic districts since 2002
- List of bishops of Auxerre
External Links
- (En) Site of the Cathedral of Auxerre
- (En) Fact of the Ministry of Culture
- (En) Sheet on the site Structurae.de
- (En) Sheet on the site in the Western Religious Architecture
- (En) Map of the Cathedral of Auxerre
- (En) The St. Stephen's Cathedral opens its doors
- (En) Viollet-le-Duc - Dictionary of Architecture
- Photos and floor plans of the cathedral of Auxerre
Bibliography
- Friends of the Cathedral Saint-Etienne of Auxerre, Saint-Etienne Cathedral of Auxerre, Auxerre ( ISBN 2-914168-05-5 )
- Collombet Francis, the most beautiful cathedrals in France, Slection du Readers Digest, Paris (France), 1997 ( ISBN 2-7098-0888-9 ), p. 146-151.
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