How France Built Her Cathedrals Part 51

[215] Rene f.a.ge, _La cathedrale de Limoges_ (Collection, Pet.i.tes Monographies), (Paris, H. Laurens, 1913); Abbe Arbellot, _Monographie de la cathedrale de Limoges_ (Limoges, 1853); A. Pet.i.t, "Les six statues du jube de la cathedrale de Limoges," in _Bulletin Monumental_, 1912, vol.

62, p. 144. MM. emile Male, Andre Michel, and Louis Gonse have written on the _jube_; Rene f.a.ge, "Le clocher limousin a l'epoque romane," in _Bulletin Monumental_, 1907, vol. 71, p. 262; Anthyme Saint-Paul, "Archeologie limousin," in _L'Almanac limousin_, 1885; Charles de Lasteyrie, _L'abbaye de St. Martial de Limoges_ (Paris, Picard, 1901); A. Leroux, _L'abbaye de St. Martial de Limoges_ (Toulouse, 1901); _ibid._, _Geographie et histoire du Limousin_ (Limoges, 1892); Ernest Rupin, _L'oeuvre de Limoges_ (Paris, 1890); A. Meyer, _L'art de l'email de Limoges_ (Paris, 1896); P. Lavedan, _Leonard Limosin et les emailleurs francais_ (Collection, Les Grands Artistes), (Paris, H.

Laurens). (The meeting for the _Congres Archeologique_, 1921, is to be held at Limoges.)

[216] Rendered in modern French by J. Demogeot.

[217] _Inferno_, xxviii:112-142.

[218] _Congres Archeologique_, 1861; Charles Saunier, _Bordeaux_ (Collection, Villes d'art celebres), (Paris, H. Laurens); J. A.

Brutails, _Les vieilles eglises de la Gironde_ (Bordeaux, Feret et fils, 1912); _ibid._, "La cathedrale de Bordeaux," in _Le moyen age_, 1899-1901, vols. 12-14; H. Havard, ed., _La France artistique et monumentale_ "Bordeaux," L. de Foucaud, vol. 5, p. 105; Cirot de la Ville, _Origines chretiennes de Bordeaux, ou hist. et descript. de l'eglise de St. Seurin_ (Bordeaux, 1867); P. J. O'Reilly, _Histoire de Bordeaux_ (Paris and Bordeaux, 1857), 6 vols.; C. Jullian, _Histoire de Bordeaux_ (Bordeaux, 1895); L. Barron, _La Gascogne_ (Collection, Regions de la France), (Paris, L. Cerf); _ibid._, _La Garonne_ (Collection, Fleuves de France), (Paris, H. Laurens); P. Courteault, _Histoire de Gascogne_ (Collection, Les vieilles provinces de France), (Paris, Boivin et Cie).

[219] In the nave of the cathedral is the neo-cla.s.sic tomb of Cardinal de Cheverus, who died, archbishop of Bordeaux, in 1836. Driven out of France at the time of the Revolution, he founded the see of Boston, Ma.s.sachusetts, in the United States of America.

[220] The beautiful cloister of St. Bertrand-de-Comminges belongs to the XII century. In 1536 the Renaissance art prelate, Jean de Mauleon, presented the carved choir stalls. _Congres Archeologique_, 1874, p.

249, J. de Lauriere; and 1906, p. 79, Louis Serbat; Morel, _Essai hist.

sur St. Bertrand-de-Comminges_; d'Agos, _Description de l'eglise cathedrale de Comminges_.

[221] The cathedral of Bayonne was begun about 1135 under Alienor of Aquitaine's father. The choir is of that century; the nave was finished about 1335, and some of its sculptures, showing the national crest with the arms of both England and France, recall the short sovereignty in France of Henry V and Henry VI. The cloister of Bayonne ranks with those of Elne and Arles. A transept is indicated merely by the s.p.a.cing of bays. The XII-century tower was rebuilt from 1501 to 1544. The interior of the cathedral is more firm than it is graceful, owing to the piers being six feet square and to an excessive sobriety in ornamentation.

_Congres Archeologique_, 1888.

[222] Leon Gautier, ed., _Chanson de Roland_ (Tours, Mame, 1895), section 297, l. 3684.

[223] _Congres Archeologique_, 1874 and 1906; H. Graillot, _Toulouse et Carca.s.sonne_ (Collection, Villes d'art celebres), (Paris, H. Laurens); Jules de Lahondes, _Toulouse chretienne; l'eglise de St. etienne, cathedrale de Toulouse_; _ibid._, "Les chapiteaux de St. Sernin de Toulouse," in _Mem. de la Soc. archeol. du Midi de la France_, 1897; Anthyme Saint-Paul, "St. Sernin," in _Alb.u.m des monuments du Midi de la France_, 1897; in _Bulletin Monumental_, 1899; and in _Revue de l'art chretien_, 1905, vol. 48, p. 145; Abbe Lestrade, _Histoire de l'art a Toulouse_ (Toulouse, 1907); H. L. Gillet, _Histoire artistique des ordres mendiants_ (Paris, 1912); A. Marignan, _Histoire de la sculpture en Languedoc des XIe et XIIIe siecles_ (Paris, Bouillon, 1902); Alexis Forel, _Voyage au pays des sculpteurs romans_ (Paris and Geneva, 1913), 2 vols.; Roschach, _Le musee de Toulouse_, "Inventoire des richesses d'art de la France: ministere de l'instruction publique" (vol.

8), (Paris, 1908), 4to; Martin, _L'art roman en France_ (Paris, 1910); H. Revoil, _L'architecture romane du Midi de la France_ (Paris, 1873-90), 3 vols.; R. de Lasteyrie, _L'architecture religieuse en France a l'epoque romane_ (Paris, 1912); Vie et Vaissette, supplemented by Du Mege, Molinier, and Roschach, _Nouvelle histoire de Languedoc_ (Toulouse, Privat, 1872-92), 15 vols.

[224] Frederic Mistral, _Poemes_ (Paris, Charpentier-Fasquelle, 1912).

[225] "Wisdom hath built herself a house, she hath hewn her out seven pillars."--Prov. ix:1.

[226] From the Chapelle de Rieux at the Cordeliers came some curious statues which are now in the Museum of Toulouse. Their date is certain, 1324 to 1348, yet their realism is of the XV century. Again Languedoc proved precocious in sculpture. In the Museum is a XIV-century statue of Bishop Guillaume Durandus, author of _Rationale_.

[227] When Moissac was affiliated with Cluny and reformed, its church was rebuilt by Abbot Durand, whose image adorns a pier of the cloister's east gallery. The walls of the nave belong to the edifice consecrated in 1063. That church of three aisles was remade with cupolas and blessed in 1180, and of the same date are the fortified narthex and its tower.

Owing to those defenses the celebrated portal is in the south wall of the porch, not in the church axis. The Gothic ribs beneath the tower are rectangular and three feet wide. In the XIV century the cupolas were replaced by diagonals. The cloisters were begun about 1100 under Abbot Ansquitil, who made the pier images, also the marble parts of the portal, its trumeau, and the Visitation. Abbot Roger (1115-31) finished the cloisters, inscribing the carved Scripture scenes of the capitals.

During the first quarter of the XII century Moissac's imagery pa.s.sed from the squat, coa.r.s.ely executed figures of the cloister piers to the appealing, etherealized types--"_fluides creations du Languedoc_"--the Annunciation group. Mr. A. Kingsley Porter thinks that door-jamb-figure sculpture was first used by Guglielmo at Modena Cathedral (c. 1100), and from Italy pa.s.sed into southern France. The current of art flowed in the opposite direction, too, for the coupled colonnettes, typical of the Romanesque cloisters of Provence, Languedoc, and Spain, soon found their way across the Alps, where early examples are to be seen at Verona and Aosta, and at the cathedral door of Verona are Languedoc's elongated figures with crossed feet. The _Portico de la gloria_ at Santiago sets forth the vision of John the Beloved at Patmos quite as Moissac's tympanum presents it. _Congres Archeologique_, 1901, vol. 2, pp. 43, 303; E. Rupin, _Abbaye et les cloitres de Moissac_ (Paris, Picard, 1897); Andre Michel, "Sculpture romane de Moissac," in _Bull. de la Soc.

Archeol. du Midi de la France_, 1899 to 1901; Roger Peyre, _Padoue et Verone_ (Collection, Villes d'art celebres), (Paris, H. Laurens).

[228] The master of French iconography, M. emile Male, is on the eve of publis.h.i.+ng a work on XII-century imagery, of which he says, "The art of Languedoc undulates like a flame in the wind, that of Provence seems cast in bronze."

[229] _Paradiso_, xii:70-73.

"Dominico fu detto; ed io ne parlo s come dell'agricola, che Cristo elesse all'orto suo per aiutarlo.

Ben parve messo e famigliar di Cristo."

("Dominic was he named; and I speak of him as of the husbandman whom Christ chose for his orchard to bring aid to it. Well did he show himself a messenger and a familiar of Christ.")

[230] Douais, _L'Inquisition, ses origines, sa procedure_ (Paris, 1906); A. Molinier, _L'Inquisition dans le Midi de la France au XIIIe et au XIVe siecles_ (Paris, 1880); Vacandard, _L'Inquisition; etude historique et critique sur le pouvoir coercitif de l'eglise_ (Paris, 1907), (tr. London and New York, Longmans, Green & Co., 1908); Jean Guiraud, _Histoire patiale, histoire vraie_ (Paris, 1911); _ibid._, _Questions d'histoire et d'archeologie chretienne_ (Paris, 1906); _ibid._, _St. Dominique_ (Collection, Les Saints), (Paris, Lecoffre, 1909), (tr. London, Washburne, 1913); C. M. Antony, _In St. Dominic's Country_ (London, Longmans, Green & Co., 1912); Mortier, _Histoire des maitres generaux de l'Ordre des Freres Precheurs_ (Paris, 1903), 5 vols.

[231] Jean Guiraud, _Cartulaire de Notre Dame-de-Prouille_ (Paris, Picard, 1907), 2 vols. Vol. 1 is the ablest exposition of the Albigensian tenets; A. Molinier, "L'Albigeisme languedocien au XIIe et XIIIe siecles," in _Histoire de Languedoc_, vol. 1 (Toulouse, Privat, 1872-92), 15 vols.; C. Douais, _Les Albigeois; action de l'eglise au XIIIe siecle_ (Paris, 1889); A. Luchaire, _Innocent III; la croisade des Albigeois_ (Paris, Hachette, 1905).

[232] "Les vainqueurs mettent a sac toutes les maisons au nombre de 7000.... Si trouverent en la ville grant avoir; si en prisent donquel qu'ils veurent et le remanant ils ardirent. La eut grant persecution d'hommes, de femmes et d'enfans, dont ce fut pitie."--FROISSART, book I, chap. lxxvi.

[233] Paul Fournier, _St. Raymond de Pennafort_ (Collection, Les Saints), (Paris, Lecoffre). St. Raymond's life, from 1175 to 1275, covers one of the most vital centuries in history. He helped St. Peter Nolasco found the Order of Mercy to redeem Christian captives from Islam; he founded chairs for the study of Oriental languages; he reformed morals by his preaching. A voluntary teacher of philosophy at twenty, then a trained lawyer, it was not till he was touching the half-century limit that he entered the Dominican Order, of which he became the head. For fifty more years he gave himself up to works for humanity's advancement.

[234] _Congres Archeologique_, 1863; Jean Laran, _La cathedrale d'Albi_ (Collection, Pet.i.tes Monographies), (Paris, H. Laurens, 1911); H.

Crozes, _Monographie de la cathedrale de Ste. Cecile d'Albi_, 1873; E.

d'Auriac, _Histoire de l'ancienne cathedrale et des eveques d'Albi_ (Paris, 1858); Abbe A. Aurial, "La vote de Ste-Cecile d'Albi," in _Revue de l'art chretien_, 1913, p. 91; Prosper Merimee, _Notes d'un voyage dans le Midi de la France_ (1835); B. L. de Rivieres, "Les eglises d'Albi," in _Bulletin Monumental_, 1873, vol. 39, p. 194; Taylor et Nodier, _Voyages pittoresques dans l'ancienne France_. _Languedoc_ (Paris, Didot, 1833-37), 2 vols.

[235] In the Romanesque brick church of St. Salvi, with its imposing tower and XII-century cloister, St. Bernard preached in 1145.

[236] The cathedral of Auch, which can be visited from Toulouse, was rebuilt (1371) by a nephew of Innocent VI, and again, after a fire in 1483. It is quite devoid of capitals. The facade is neo-cla.s.sic. The choir stalls (1520-29) are masterpieces; Italianate fawns and Bacchantes are placed beside sacred personages. The magnificent windows, of the transition between Flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance, were the work of Arnaud de Moles (1507-13); their portrait studies are like Holbein's pictures. Abbe Caneto, Notice _sur l'eglise metro. de Ste. Marie d'Auch_ and _Congres Archeologique_, 1901.

The cathedral of Rodez, some fifty miles west from Albi, built its grand Flamboyant tower, _la couronne_, from 1510 to 1526, under the Blessed Francois d'Estaing. The Romanesque cathedral at Rodez was supplanted by the present one in 1277. The works flagged, however, and the nave was built as late-Gothic by Bishop Guillaume de la Tour d'Oliergues and a nephew who succeeded him. The west facade was left bare, since there the church overlooked the ramparts; to it were added later a rose window and a Flamboyant gallery. G. de Cogny, in _Bulletin Monumental_, 1874, vol.

39; Bion de Marlavagne, _Cathedrale de Rodez_ (Paris, 1875).

[237] _Congres Archeologique_, 1868; and 1906, J. de Lahondes; Viollet-le-Duc, _La cite de Carca.s.sonne_ (Paris, 1858); H. Graillot, _Toulouse et Carca.s.sonne_ (Collection, Villes d'art celebres), (Paris, H. Laurens); L. Fedie, _Histoire de Carca.s.sonne_ (Carca.s.sonne, 1887); C.

Douais, _Soumission de la vicomte de Carca.s.sonne par Simon de Montfort_; Cros-Meyrevieille, _Histoire des comtes de Carca.s.sonne_ (1845), 2 vols.; Gaston Jourdanne, _La cite de Carca.s.sonne_ (1905).

[238] Louis Serbat, in _Congres Archeologique_, 1868 and 1906; L.

Narbonne, _La cathedrale de Narbonne_, 1901; Victor Mortet, "Notes historiques et archeologiques sur la cathedrale de Narbonne," in _Annales du Midi_, vol. 10, p. 401; vol. 11, pp. 273 and 439--also printed separately (Toulouse, Privat, and Paris, Picard, 1899); F.

Pradel, _Mono, graphie de l'eglise St. Juste de Narbonne_ (Narbonne, Caillard, 1884); Ch. Lentheric, _Les villes mortes du Golfe de Lyon: Narbonne, Maguelonne, Aigues-Mortes, Arles, Les Saintes-Maries_ (Paris, Plon, 1883); "ecole gothique religieuse du Midi de la France," in _Positions des theses soutenues par les eleves de l'ecole des chartes en 1909; Histoire litteraire de la France_, vol. 32, p. 474, on Gilles Aycelin, archbishop of Narbonne and Rouen, Leopold Delisle.

[239] For the other churches at Narbonne, see the _Congres Archeologique_, 1906. M. Lefevre-Pontalis devotes a study to St. Paul Serge (p. 345), whose choir was built from 1229 to 1244. In the transept are vestiges of the primitive church. Two bays of the nave are of the XIV century, and the others are XII-century work redone in the XIII. To bind together the bulging walls, flat arches were thrown over the central vessel at the level of the pier arches. The church presents such peculiarities in the Midi as circulation pa.s.sages at different levels round the edifice. There are false tribune arches, and over the pier arcade a pa.s.sageway is maneuvered. Sergius Paulus was the first to preach Christianity in the city. In Narbonne's valuable Museum are cla.s.sic vestiges of the city's great day under the Roman Empire. Many of the cla.s.sic marble columns are to-day in the mosque at Cordova. Ch. E.

Schmidt, _Cordoue, Grenade_ (Collection, Villes d'art celebres), (Paris, H. Laurens).

[240] The Cistercian abbey of Fontfroide lies in a wild gorge some six miles from Narbonne. The church, begun in the middle of the XII century, was roofed with a pointed cradle vault. The cloister, like that at Tarragona, was covered with _bombe_ vaults on eight ribs. Little marble columns support the Gothic masonry roof of the chapter house, which, like Poblet's, opens by arcades on the cloister. Twelve monks from Fontfroide founded Poblet in 1150. The countess who ruled Narbonne for sixty years confirmed the abbey charter in 1157: " I, Ermengarde, give to G.o.d and the Blessed Mary, to Abbot Vital and the present and future servants of G.o.d, the lands of Fontfroide," runs her deed of gift. Doubly is a nation robbed when monastic lands are held by private individuals who a.s.sume no responsibility toward the public, as did a majority of the ancient houses, before royalty named its favorites as their abbots. Even as vast tracts were granted to n.o.bles that they might perform gratis the military defense of a land, so monasteries were expected to give payment for their domains, by voluntary services to civilization. J. de Lahondes, in _Congres Archeologique_, 1906, p. 61; Calvert, _etudes historiques sur Fontfroide_ (1875); G. Desdevises du Dezert, _Barcelone et les grands sanctuaires d'art catalan_ (Collection, Villes d'art celebres), (Paris, H. Laurens).

[241] Perpignan's aisleless cathedral of St. Jean was begun in 1324 and finished, as the century ended, under the kings of Majorca, who then ruled the Roussillon. The transept ends are apsidal below and pentagonal above. Beside it stands an older St. Jean, dedicated in 1025. The see originally was at Elne, where the cathedral was rebuilt in the XI century; lotus leaves are carved on the capitals of its lovely marble cloister (c. 1175). _Congres Archeologique_, 1868; and 1906, p. 109, Perpignan; p. 135, Elne; E. de Barthelemy, " Le cloitre de la ville d'Elne," in _Bulletin Monumental_, 1857, vol. 23; Bernard Pal.u.s.tre,"

Perpignan et ses monuments," in _Revue d'hist. et d'archeol du Roussillon_, 1905; Auguste Brutails, " Notes sur l'art religieux du Roussillon," in _Bulletin archeol. du comite des traveaux hist. et scientifique_, 1892, No. 4; 1893, No. 3; P. Vidal, _Histoire de la ville de Perpignan_ (Paris, 1897); P. Vidal et J. Calmette, _Le Roussillon_ (Collection, Les regions de la France), (Paris, L. Cerf, 1909); J. de Gazanyola, _Histoire de Roussillon_ (Perpignan, Alzinc, 1857); Isabel Savory, _Romantic Roussillon_ (London, Unwin, 1919).

[242] Eugene Muntz, _Les constructions du pope Urbain V a Montpellier, 1364-70_ (Paris, 1900); Jean Guiraud, _Les fondations du pape Urbain V a Montpellier_ (Montpellier, 1899), 3 vols.; G. E. Lefenestre, _Le musee de Montpellier_ (vol. 1, p. 189, "Inventaire des richesses d'art de la France: ministere de l'instruction publique"), (Paris, 1878); emile Bonnet, _Antiquites et monuments du departement de l'Herault_ (Montpellier, 1908); Abbe M. Chaillon, _Le bienheureux Urbain V, 1310-70_ (Collection, Les Saints), (Paris, Lecoffre, 1911); A Germain, _Maguelonne, etude historique et archeologique_; A Fabrege, _Histoire de Maguelonne_ (Montpellier, 1900), 2 vols.

[243] Jean Aicard, _Arlette des Mayons_ (Paris, Flammarion, 1916).

[244] To the northwest of Montpellier, near Aniane, is St.

Guilhem-le-Desert, with blind niches in its exterior apse wall that derive from such Lombard churches as S. Ambrogio at Milan. Lombard towers, arched corbel tables, and mural arcaded bands pa.s.sed from northern Italy into Languedoc. The early intersecting ribs here were exceptional for the Midi in being profiled. The nave and aisles are of the first half of the XI century, the chevet and transept of the early XII, as is the cloister, which once had a second story. The narthex was built from 1165 to 1199. The first duke of Aquitaine, Alienor's ancestor, died here, a monk. _Congres Archeologique_, 1906, p. 384; "L'eglise abbatiale de St. Guilhem-le-Desert," emile Bonnet; Joseph Bedier, _Les legendes epiques_, vol. 1, "St. Guillaume de Gellone"

(Paris, H. Champion, 1908-13), 4 vols.

[245] Innocent III was the best type of the theory, enunciated by Boniface VIII as the XIII century closed, that civil rulers derive their power from religious authority. Leo XIII, in the encyclical _Immortale Dei_, November, 1885, set aside that claim. Each should keep to its own sphere, he said, one is not subordinate to the other; civil authorities are to attend to human affairs, and spiritual authorities to divine things. With every monarch in Europe appealing to him for his arbitration, it is little wonder that Innocent III should have held the views he did.

[246] Mende lies in the mountains of western Languedoc. Its cathedral was begun (1365) under the auspices of Urban V, whose statue stands in the square close by. Practically it is a XV-century church, without capitals, flying b.u.t.tresses, or transept. During twelve years the architect was Pierre Juglar, an a.s.sociate, at Riom, of those Flamboyant Gothic masters, the Dammartin brothers. The cathedral was finished with its two towers in 1512. From 1286 to 1296 the bishop of Mende was Guillaume Durandus, author of _Rationale_, the famous book on church symbolism. He was governor under the popes of the marches of Ancona and the Romagna, and led the papal forces in battle. The Italian city of Castel Duranti was named after him. When he died at Rome in 1296, Giovanni Cosmati made his tomb, a masterpiece in the only Gothic church of Rome, Santa-Maria-sopra-Minerva. Urban V was generous also to St.

Flour (which lies south of Mende), whose abbatial was rebuilt in the XIV century; John XXII had raised it to cathedral rank in 1317. _Congres Archeologique_, 1857, Mende.

[247] Nothing now at St. Victor's, Ma.r.s.eilles, is earlier than the XI century. A pre-Gothic use of diagonal ribs (with Lombard rectangular profiles) cropped out here, yet when the upper church was remodeled in the XIII century, Romanesque vaulting was used. Urban V rebuilt the transept, made the square apse, and raised the battlemented towers. When he visited Ma.r.s.eilles in 1373 every man in the city ceased his work to welcome him. As it was his desire to be buried in his former abbey, his remains were brought hither in 1372, and his successor, Gregory XI, raised a sumptuous Gothic monument forty feet in height. Abbe A.

d'Agnel, "L'abbaye de St. Victor de Ma.r.s.eilles," in _Bulletin historique et philosophique_, 1906, p. 364; Eugene Muntz, "St. Victor, Ma.r.s.eilles,"

in _Gazette Archeol._, 1884.

[248] In his short time in Rome Urban V gave commissions for art works to Giottino and the sons of Taddeo Gaddi, and he had made the precious shrine for the relics of St. Peter and St. Paul in the Lateran. (See Eugene Muntz in the _Cronique des Arts_ for 1880.)

[249] Translated by F. J. C. Kearns, O. P.