Cathédrale Saint-Lazare d'Autun
Encyclopedia
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, in Autun
Autun
Autun is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in Burgundy in eastern France. It was founded during the early Roman Empire as Augustodunum. Autun marks the easternmost extent of the Umayyad campaign in Europe.-Early history:...
. Famous for its Cluniac inspiration and its Romanesque sculptures by Gislebertus
Gislebertus
thumb|300px|Last Judgement by Gislebertus in the west tympanum at [[Autun Cathedral]].Gislebertus, Giselbetus or Ghiselbertus, sometimes "of Autun" , was a French Romanesque sculptor, whose decoration of the Cathedral of Saint Lazare at Autun, France - consisting of numerous doorways, tympanums,...
, it is the seat of the Bishop of Autun.
St. Nazarius' Cathedral
The first cathedral of Autun was built from the 5th century onwards (later dedicated to Saint NazariusNazarius and Celsus
Saints Nazarius and Celsus were two martyrs of whom nothing is known except the discovery of their bodies by Saint Ambrose.According to Paulinus the Deacon's Vita Ambrosii, Ambrose, at some time within the last three years of his life, after the death of the Emperor Theodosius Saints Nazarius and...
or St. Nazaire, as it held relics of Saints Nazarius and Celsus
Nazarius and Celsus
Saints Nazarius and Celsus were two martyrs of whom nothing is known except the discovery of their bodies by Saint Ambrose.According to Paulinus the Deacon's Vita Ambrosii, Ambrose, at some time within the last three years of his life, after the death of the Emperor Theodosius Saints Nazarius and...
) and was several times refurbished and enlarged. In about 970 it obtained from Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
some of the relics of Lazarus of Aix
Lazarus of Aix
Saint Lazarus of Aix was the first verifiable bishop of Aix-en-Provence, in France. He was appointed to his bishopric by the usurper emperor Constantine III in 408, and stripped of his office after Constantine was deposed by the future Constantius II in 411...
, in the belief that they were relics of Lazarus of Bethany
Lazarus of Bethany
Lazarus of Bethany, also known as Saint Lazarus or Lazarus of the Four Days, is the subject of a prominent miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores him to life four days after his death...
, the friend of Jesus. These became an object of pilgrimage and the crowds became too great for the cathedral building. The Bishop of Autun, Etienne de Bâgé, therefore decided in about 1120 on the construction of a new cathedral as a pilgrimage church and for the better veneration of the relics. The new cathedral was allotted a site to the north of the earlier cathedral of Saint Nazaire, of which some remains may still be seen.
St. Lazarus' Cathedral
Work on the new cathedral of Saint LazarusLazarus of Aix
Saint Lazarus of Aix was the first verifiable bishop of Aix-en-Provence, in France. He was appointed to his bishopric by the usurper emperor Constantine III in 408, and stripped of his office after Constantine was deposed by the future Constantius II in 411...
or St. Lazare began in around 1120 and advanced rapidly enough for the building to be consecrated in 1130. It was mostly finished by 1146, when the relics of Lazarus were translated from the old cathedral. The Tomb of Lazarus, the shrine of the relics, was constructed in the choir in 1170-1180. The narthex
Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
or portico was not completed until the very end of the century.
The inspiration of the new building, both in layout and decoration, was Cluniac. The designs were the work of the bishop Etienne de Bâgé, who was particularly influenced by the Cluniac abbey of Paray-le-Monial.
For a number of years after 1146 the two cathedrals operated in tandem, with Saint Lazare as the summer cathedral (from Easter to All Saints' Day) and Saint Nazaire as the winter cathedral. Saint Lazare was eventually confirmed as the one cathedral of Autun in 1195.
In the 15th century the Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
appearance of the exterior was extensively modified by the addition of spires and side chapels. In 1462 Bishop Jean Rolin
Jean Rolin (cardinal)
Jean Rolin was a Burgundian bishop and Cardinal.His father, Nicolas Rolin, was ducal Chancellor of Burgundy, and lord of Authumes. Jean became a Cardinal in 1448, created by Pope Nicholas V, as part of diplomatic engagement between the Duchy of Burgundy and the Papacy, tending against France.He...
had a new belfry built in replacement of the Romanesque one, destroyed by a bolt of lightning.
From 1793 until 1805 it was home to the famous painting Madonna of Chancellor Rolin
Madonna of Chancellor Rolin
The Madonna of Chancellor Rolin is an oil painting by the Early Netherlandish master Jan van Eyck, dating from around 1435. It is on display in the Musée du Louvre, Paris....
by Jan van Eyck
Jan van Eyck
Jan van Eyck was a Flemish painter active in Bruges and considered one of the best Northern European painters of the 15th century....
, now in the Musée du Louvre.
The twin flanking towers date from the 19th century.
Overview
Notable is the west tympanumTympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
(1130–1135), signed Gislebertus hoc fecit ("Gislebertus made this") and ranked amongst the masterpieces of Romanesque sculpture in France. Portraying the Last Judgement, it was plastered over in 1766, Christ's head being entirely obliterated. Gislebertus also sculpted a figure of Eve
Eve (Bible)
Eve was, according to the creation of Abrahamic religions, the first woman created by God...
(north portal), the first large scale nude in European art since antiquity and a model of sinuous grace.
The interior has a nave and two aisles, divided by massive pillars with longitudinal carvings. The nave elevation is composed of three levels: grand arcade, triforium and clerestory, each marked by a cornice. The nave is covered by a barrel vault over transverse arches. Most of the capitals were carved by Gislebertus: some of them are exhibited in the Chapter Hall, including fine representations of the Flight into Egypt
Flight into Egypt
The flight into Egypt is a biblical event described in the Gospel of Matthew , in which Joseph fled to Egypt with his wife Mary and infant son Jesus after a visit by Magi because they learn that King Herod intends to kill the infants of that area...
and Adoration of the Magi.
Other artworks include the Martyrdom of St. Symphorianus, by Ingres
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres was a French Neoclassical painter. Although he considered himself to be a painter of history in the tradition of Nicolas Poussin and Jacques-Louis David, by the end of his life it was Ingres's portraits, both painted and drawn, that were recognized as his greatest...
, in the south transept.