Notre Dame de Rouen. The façade of the Gothic Church in France. Photographer: Hippo1947. Licence: SHUTTERSTOCK.
Showing posts with label Albi Cathedral. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Albi Cathedral. Show all posts

Thursday 28 September 2023

Albi Cathedral, France (Part Nine).



Ceiling of Albi Cathedral.
Photo: 15 August 2008.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless stated otherwise.

The Bishop’s Palace, next to the Cathedral, is formally known as the “Palais épiscopal de la Berbie”, and is included in the UNESCO historical site.

Its name comes from “Bisbia”, a local variation of the Occitan word for “Bishop”. The Bishop’s Palace was begun before the Cathedral, by Bishop Durand de Beaucaire (Bishop 1228 to 1254), and was built like a small fortress against the Cathars or other potential enemies.

The next resident, Bishop de Combret, fortified it further by connecting the Residence to the Cathedral Tower, twenty-five metres away, with a Wall, fortified with Bastions, and the addition of a Machicoulis over the entrance.


English: The Grand Organ and Nave ceiling of Albi Cathedral. A masterpiece by Christophe Moucherel, completed in 1736, with a monumental Buffet 16.40 m wide and 15.60 m high,
one of the most beautiful South of The Loire.

Christophe Moucherel being better known for the high quality of his Buffets than for the reliability of his instruments, the Organ was refurbished in 1747 by François and Jean-François Lépine, then in 1779 by Joseph Isnard, nephew of Jean-Esprit, and in 1825 by Antoine Peyroulous.

Brought up-to-date during the Romantic Period by Jean-Baptiste Puget in 1904, it was in poor condition in the 1950s. A restoration was decided upon and entrusted, in 1977, to Bartoloméo Formentelli, who is in charge of restoring the Organ back to its condition of 1825.

From now on, his son, Michel, takes care of the Organ. Five Keyboards of fifty Notes (C1 to D5 without 1st C #); Dorsal Positive, G.O., Bombarde, Narrative, Echo, French Pedal,
fifty-six Stops, 3,578 Pipes.


Français: Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d'Albi – L'orgue de tribune chef d'œuvre de Christophe Moucherel, terminé en 1736, avec un buffet monumental de 16,40 m de large pour 15,60m de haut, un des plus beaux au sud de la Loire.

Christophe Moucherel étant plus connu pour la grande qualité de ses buffets que pour la fiabilité de ses instruments, l'orgue est revu dès 1747 par François et Jean-François Lépine, puis en 1779 par Joseph Isnard, neveu de Jean-Esprit,
en 1825 par Antoine Peyroulous.

Mis au "goût du jour" durant la période romantique par Jean-Baptiste Puget en 1904, en piteux état dans les années cinquante, sa restauration est décidée et confiée en 1977 à Bartoloméo Formentelli qui est chargé de restituer
la situation de 1825.

Le même effectuera un grand relevage en 1996. 
C'est désormais son fils Michel qui s’occupe de l'instrument.
5 claviers de 50 notes(ut1 à ré5 sans 1er ut#):positif dorsal,
G.O., bombarde ,récit, écho, pédalier à la française, 56 jeux, 3578 tuyaux.


Italiano : L'organo della tribuna, capolavoro di Christophe Moucherel, completato nel 1736, con un monumentale buffet
di 16,40 m di larghezza e 15,60 m di altezza, uno dei più belli del sud della Loira.

Christophe Moucherel essendo più noto per l'alta qualità dei suoi buffet che per l'affidabilità dei suoi strumenti, l'organo fu rivisto nel 1747 da François e Jean-François Lépine, poi nel 1779 da Joseph Isnard, nipote di Jean-Esprit, nel 1825 da Antoine Peyroulous.

Aggiornato durante il periodo romantico da Jean-Baptiste Puget nel 1904, in cattive condizioni negli anni Cinquanta, ne fu deciso il restauro e affidato nel 1977 a Bartoloméo Formentelli che ne è il responsabile di ripristinare la situazione del 1825.

Lo stesso effettuerà un grosso sollevamento nel 1996. D'ora in poi è il figlio Michel che si prende cura dello strumento. 5 tastiere di 50 note (dal DO1 al RE5 senza 1° DO#): dorsale positiva, SOL, bombarda, narrativa, eco, pedale francese,
56 registri, 3578 canne.

Photo: 4 August 2021.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)

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Bishop de Castanet surrounded the complex with a new Wall and built the Saint Catherine Tower, which was connected by a Wall to the Durand de Beaucaire Tower of the Cathedral.[25]

The Palace was never attacked, and later Bishops softened its appearance by adding residential buildings and a Chapel, and a French-style garden, as well decorating the Interiors with Mosaics and Art.


In 1905, the Cathedral and its properties were officially nationalised, and the Palace was given to the City of Albi for use as a Museum.

In 1922, it received an important collection of Works by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, donated by his mother. It is now known as the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum. The collection includes his last painting, “Examination at The School of Medicine”, from 1901.[26]


Choir and Rood Screen, Albi Cathedral.
Photo: 25 June 2009.
Source: Own work.
from Torcy, France
(Wikimedia Commons)

THIS CONCLUDES THE ARTICLE ON ALBI CATHEDRAL.
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Wednesday 20 September 2023

Albi Cathedral, France (Part Seven).



English: The Last Judgement Fresco.
Français: Le jugement dernier.
Photo: 15 July 2014.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless stated otherwise.

The Chapels were frequently redecorated and repainted in the following years, causing Eugène Viollet-le-Duc to complain in 1841 that “Almost all of the Chapels were ruined; paintings were nailed over the murals, and clumsy restorations were made by the whitewashers.”

He made substantial restorations, particularly in the elaborate floor-to-ceiling murals in the Chapelle de la Sainte-Croix (The Chapel of The Holy Cross). The nine scenes of the mural depict the story of how fragments of The True Cross were discovered at Rome and given to Emperor Constantine, allowing him to defeat the barbarian chieftain, Maxence, and how later the nails used in The Crucifixion were recovered and given to Saint Helen. [22]

The Chapelle Saint-Claire, is a square Chapel tucked into the architecture of the West facade at the end of the 17th-Century. It is located directly behind the Mediæval fresco of The Last Judgement, and the builder of the Chapel, Bishop Le Goux de la Berchère, destroyed a central part of the fresco to give the Chapel a larger opening, and installed an Altar to match The High Altar at the other end of the Church.[22]


English: The Organ in Albi Cathedral. A masterpiece by Christophe Moucherel, completed in 1736, with a monumental Buffet 16.40 m wide and 15.60 m high. It is one of the most beautiful Organs South of The Loire.
Christophe Moucherel being better known for the high quality of his Buffets than for the reliability of his instruments, the Organ was revised in 1747 by François and Jean-François Lépine, then, in 1779, by Joseph Isnard, nephew of Jean-Esprit, and, in 1825, by Antoine Peyroulous.
Brought up-to-date during The Romantic Period by Jean-Baptiste Puget in 1904, it was in poor condition in the 1950s. Its restoration was entrusted in 1977 to Bartoloméo Formentelli. Now, his son, Michel, takes care of the instrument: Five Keyboards of fifty Notes (C1 to D5 without
1st C #); Dorsal Positive, G.O; Bombarde; Narrative; Echo; French Pedal; Fifty-Six Stops; 3,578 Pipes.
Photo: 4 August 2021.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)

It is not permitted to upload this file at Facebook.


The Chapel of Notre Dame and Saint Cécile is the Axis Chapel at the East End of the Cathedral. Its decoration was created between 1777 and 1779 by the Italian artist Jacques Antoine Mazetti, who established a studio at Avignon with his brother Bernard Virgile and the painter Maderni.

The central feature is a marble statue of The Virgin Mary from the 18th-Century, with four paintings depicting scenes from The Virgin’s life by the Toulouse painter François Fauré.

Behind The Virgin, is a “Gloire”, or “Glory”, a halo surrounding The Virgin, filled with Angels and other figures. The interior Chapel is decorated with coloured and moulded stucco.[22]


14th-Century Reliquary at Albi Cathedral.
Contains Relics of Saint Ursula.
Photo: 4 August 2021.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)

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The oldest painting is the mural of The Last Judgement, on the interior of The Great West Front, which was painted at the end of the 15th-Century. It covers an area of 15 metres (49 ft) by 18 metres (59 ft). Some portions of the mural were removed in 1693 due to the creation of the Chapel of Saint Claire.

Some of the central figures, such as Christ rendering judgement and Archangel Michæl weighing the sins of those being judged, were removed to make a doorway into a Chapel.

The top portion of the painting depicts a row of Angels; below them, is a rank of Apostles, dressed in White to symbolise their purity. Below them are ranks of Saints and Clerics, including a Pope and Monks of the different Orders. as well as an Emperor (probably Charlemagne) and Saint Louis.

At the bottom are the sinners being judged, with a band of Text reminding viewers that the judgement was irreversible.


English: 17th-Century Painting in Albi Cathedral depicting
The Holy Family, with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist.
Français : La sainte famille
avec sainte Anne et saint Jean-Baptiste.
Italiano : La sacra famiglia
con Sant’Anna e San Giovanni Battista.
Artist: Karsten van Limbos (1527–1542).
Photo: 4 August 2021.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)

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PART EIGHT FOLLOWS.
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Monday 4 September 2023

Albi Cathedral, France (Part Four).



Detail of the South Portal, Albi Cathedral,
showing the Flamboyant Style of Architecture.
Photo: 27 May 2013.
Author: M.Strīķis
(Wikimedia Commons)


Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless stated otherwise.

The addition of the multiple small Towers and Balustrade, which did not exist in Gothic times, did not please the residents of Albi.

They protested and demanded a return to the original roofline. In 1876, Daly resigned. Many new projects were proposed and rejected before a new architect, Alphonse Potdevin, was selected in 1900.

He removed the Balustrade, reduced the new small Towers to the height of the Roof, and returned the Cathedral to approximately its earlier appearance.[15] The Baldaquin at the entrance was reconstructed, and the interior, paintings and decoration underwent important conservation programmes, which continue.[15]


The Vaults in The Choir Ceiling.
Photo: 2 July 2008.
Source: Own work.
Author: Pom²
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Cathedral is built in The Southern French Gothic Style, also sometimes called The Toulouse Style; the Convent of The Jacobins, in Toulouse (1260–1292), follows a similar Plan.

As suitable building stone was scarce locally, it was built almost entirely of brick, which also was easier to work and gave the builders greater flexibility.[7]

It has a single Nave, without a Transept, and without lower collateral Aisles. This gives it the widest Gothic Nave in France, 18 metres (59 ft), compared with 14.65 metres (48.1 ft) at Reims Cathedral and 14 metres (46 ft) at Notre-Dame de Paris.



English: A part of the quadripartite Cross-Ribbed Vault in
The Choir, Albi Cathedral, located thirty metres above
the ground, painted between 1509 and 1512.
Deutsch: Teilansicht eines vierteiligen Kreuzrippengewölbes, 30 m über Bodenniveau, in den Jahren 1509 bis 1512 ausgemalt, Kathedrale Sainte-Cécile, Albi, Frankreich.
Français: Détail d'une voûte sur croisée d'ogives quadripartite située à 30m du sol, peintes entre 1509 et 1512
(Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile, Albi).
Photo: 2 July 2008.
Source: Own work.
Author: Pom²
(Wikimedia Commons)


Instead of using Flying Buttresses to support the Upper Walls, as in Northern France, the thick Walls of Toulouse are supported by semi-circular Buttresses integrated into the Walls, rising up to the Roof and coming inside to form the separations between the Chapels.

The principal entry is on the South Side, through an elaborate Porch, entered by a fortified Stairway, rather than through The Great West Door, as is traditional in French Gothic Architecture.[16]

The Bell Tower is seventy-eight metres (256 ft) tall, and is composed of two distinct sections and styles. The lower portion was built between 1355 and 1366. It is composed of stacked square sections, of which the exterior surfaces feature Rounded Arches and bands of decoration connecting Cylindrical Corners.


English: Vaulting in The Apse, Albi Cathedral.
Français: Albi Cathédrale Ste Cécile Le Choeur.
Photo: 6 August 2011.
Source: Own work.
Author: H Cluzeaud
(Wikimedia Commons)


The upper level, constructed in the 15th-Century, has three octagonal sections, growing smaller as they rise in height, surrounded by Balustrades. The top section has two delicate Flying Arches on the West Side and two slender supporting Towers on the East Side.[17]

Unlike most Gothic Cathedrals, where the principal entrance is via The Great West Door, at Albi Cathedral, the main entrances are on the South and South-East sides and date later than much of the Cathedral.

The South Portal previously passed through a separate Chapel, built in 1521 next to the Cathedral, which was destroyed in the 19th-Century.


English: Gothic Rood Screen in Albi Cathedral.
Français: Jubé gothique vu depuis la nef. Abside 
en arrière plan (Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile, Albi).
Photo: 2 July 2008.
Source: Own work.
Author: Pom²
(Wikimedia Commons)


It now is preceded by a very ornate Baldaquin, whose Vault is covered with intricate Interlocking Ribs of The Flamboyant Style of Architecure. Between the Baldaquin and the Interior, is an extraordinary forest of lace-like, twisting Spires, Crochets, and other ornaments.

The pioneer architectural preservationist Prosper Mérimée described the intent of the decoration as “admirable”, but remarked that the finished Baldaquin was “entirely absurd”, since it was open to the sky, and offered no protection at all from the wind, rain, or sun.

PART FIVE FOLLOWS.
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Sunday 3 September 2023

Albi Cathedral, France (Part Three).



Albi Cathedral’s Choir Ceiling.
Photo: 4 August 2021.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)

This file is copyrighted and has been released under a license which is incompatible with Facebook's licensing terms. It is not permitted to upload this file at Facebook.


Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless stated otherwise.

A very ornate Baldaquin, in the Flamboyant Style of Architecture, was added to the Southern entrance in the 16th-Century.[9] In that Century, a major campaign of construction and re-decoration commenced under Bishop Charles Le Goux de la Berchère, who wished to remake the interior in the more Classical Style, more open to The Faithful.

This involved constructing a new Chapel between the base of the Tower to the Nave, and a new Altar, visible from the Chapel.

The new Chapel also received the Relics of Saint Clair of Albi, considered the first Bishop. The construction of the new Chapel required the destruction of a central portion of the Mural of The Last Judgement, including the figure of Christ.[11]


English: Pope Innocentius III excommunicating the Albigensians (left), Massacre against the Albigensians by the crusaders (right) (British Library, Royal 16 G VI f. 374v).
Deutsch: Papst Innozenz III. exkommuniziert die Albigenser (links), Massaker an den Albigenser durch die Kreuzfahrer (rechts) (British Library, Royal 16 G VI f. 374v).
Date: 14th-Century (after 1332, before 1350).
Source: 
Author: Chroniques de Saint-Denis.
(Wikimedia Commons)


In the first half of the 18th-Century, the new Bishop, Armand Pierre de la Croix de Castries, installed a new Organ and continued to replace Gothic decoration with the Classical Style.

He concealed the Flamboyant decoration of the new Portal under a lath of plaster, and brought in Italian sculptors Bernard Virgile and Jacques Antoine Mazetti, pupils of the Renaissance sculptor Maderni, to redecorate the Axis Chapel at the East End, and to create a new Renaissance Bishop’s Seat, made of Marble and Stucco, which was placed on the Southern side of the Nave.[12]

The French Revolution in 1789 brought devastation to the Cathedral. The celebrated Reliquary of The True Cross and other treasures were seized, stripped of jewels and melted down for their gold in 1792. The most precious element of decoration, the Rood Screen, was also threatened.


15th-Century Gothic Rood Screen,
Sainte-Cécile Cathedral, Albi, France.
Photo: 26 June 2009.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The constitutional Bishop, Monseigneur Gausserrand, proposed the destruction of the Rood Screen, not for political reasons, but because he needed space to hold Sunday Services for the Congregation of the Parish; the Nave was occupied at this time by The Society of The Friends of The Constitution.

At the request of the Bishop, a decree was issued in 1792 for the destruction of the Rood Screen. Fortunately, an engineer of The Ministry of Bridges and Highways, François Mariès, learned of the plan and wrote to the Minister of the Interior and Religious Cults; “ . . . If we take upon ourselves the right to destroy that which we owe to the genius, the generosity, and the piety, of our ancestors, what right do we have to expect the preservation of those which the memorable events of our own time will inspire ?”

In response, the Minister set aside the proposed destruction of the Rood Screen.[13]


English: Albi Cathedral, France.
Français: Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d’Albi,
vue de la rive opposée du Tarn.
Photo: 6 August 2012.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Two years later, the Rood Screen was threatened again. The Cathedral was officially declared a Revolutionary Temple of Reason, and became the property of the local Revolutionary Council, which declared that the Rood Screen was “a symbol of fanaticism and superstition”.

They destroyed the statues placed on the exterior of the Rood Screen, sparing only the statues of Adam and Eve, but, fortunately, did not destroy the interior of the Screen.

In the Early-19th-Century, the statues destroyed were replaced with figures of Christ, The Virgin Mary, and Saint John, from another Church of the same period.[14]


Like the rest of the City, the Cathedral was built with “Foraine” bricks. Depicted, here, is the difference between a “Foraine” brick and a regular brick. In Southern France “Foraine” brick was the traditional building material of Cities like Albi, Montauban or Toulouse.
The “Foraine” brick is the traditional building material used in the Toulouse region of France since at least the 11th-Century.
This name would come from the Latin “foraneus”, meaning “which comes from elsewhere”, because the “Foraine” bricks were made in a brickyard and not on the building site itself (they were of better quality).
In the 19th-Century, the name used was still “Forane”, not “Foraine”, which tends to support the theory of a Latin origin.
This term, which used to indicate the quality of the bricks, has now become a generic term for all bricks of this format from the Toulouse region.
This explains why the literal translation “fairground brick”, for French “brique Foraine”, does not seem appropriate and is not used here. Inherited from the Roman brick, the ratio of width to length of a “Foraine” brick is 2/3 (as opposed to 1/2 for a regular brick), which is not conducive to the creation of a regular pattern with aligned vertical joints. This is why architectural decorations were mainly made with bricks cut to create Mouldings, Cornices and other decorations.
Photo: 7 February 2021.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The first major restoration of the Cathedral took place in the second half of the 19th-Century, between 1849 and 1876.

Eugène Viollet-le-Duc reported that “the exterior of Saint-Cecile was never finished - the Buttresses were never crowned, and nor were the Walls completed.”

The restoration project was led by the Architect of the Diocese, César Daly. He added a Balustrade around the top of the Walls, raised and strengthened the Roof, and began to put into place a ring of thirty small Towers atop each Buttress. He also refashioned the Vault of the Baldaquin at the entrance with intertwining Flamboyant Ribs.[12]

PART FOUR FOLLOWS.
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Sunday 27 August 2023

Albi Cathedral, France (Part One).



English: Basilica of Saint Cecilia, Albi, France.
Français: Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d'Albi.
Photo: 8 May 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: ByacC.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless stated otherwise.

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Cecilia (French: Basilique Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d’Albi), also known as Albi Cathedral, is the Seat of The Catholic Archbishop of Albi.

First built in the aftermath of the Albigensian Crusade, the grim exterior resembles a fortress, but the interior is lavishly decorated with art and sculpture, a very ornate Choir Screen, and Walls in bright Blues and Golds, in the Toulousian Style or Southern French Gothic Style of Architecture.

It was begun in 1282 and was under construction for 200 years. It is claimed to be the largest brick building in the world.[1]


English: Albi Cathedral, France.
Interior of The Choir.
Photo: 1885.
Français: Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile.
Vue intérieure du choeur.
Source: Médiathèque de l'architecture
et du patrimoine (image)
Photographer: 
(Wikimedia Commons)


In 2010, the Cathedral, along with its Episcopal buildings, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its unique architecture and the remarkable consistency in its design.[2][3]

The first recorded Church and Bishop’s residence was built at the end of the 4th-Century A.D., and is believed to have burned down in about 666 A.D.

A second Church is mentioned in 920 A.D., Dedicated to Saint Cecilia, a wealthy Roman noblewoman and Martyr, who was also a patroness of musicians.


English: Episcopal City of Albi: The Palais de la Berbie and Albi Cathedral, seen from the Old Bridge.
Français: La Cité épiscopale d'Albi: Le palais de la Berbie et la Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d'Albi, vues depuis le Vieux Pont.
This place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
Photo: 4 August 2021.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)

This file is copyrighted and has been released under a license which is incompatible with Facebook's licensing terms. It is not permitted to upload this file at Facebook.


That Church was part of a complex of Episcopal buildings, including a Baptistry and Sanctuary Dedicated to Saint Peter.

A third Church, in the Romanesque Style, was built of stone at the end of the 12th-Century and was located between the present Cathedral and Bishop’s Palace.

It incorporated some stonework of the earlier buildings, and included a Cloister on the South side. Some of the Arches of the Cloister are found today in the municipal park of Rochegude in Albi.[4]


English: 
Albi Cathedral’s Choir and Rood Screen.
Français: 
Chœur et jubé (Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile, Albi).
Magyar: Kórus és szentélyrekesztő,
Szent Cecília-katedrális, Albi.
Polski: Chór kapłański oraz łuk tęczowy
(katedra Św. Cecylii w Albi we Francji).
Photo: 2 July 2008.
Source: Own work.
Author: Pom²
(Wikimedia Commons)


In the 12th-Century, Albi was part of Languedoc, ruled by the Count of Toulouse, who was appointed by the King of France. The region became a battleground between the established Church and the followers of a dissident Religious movement called Catharism.

The Cathars had a strong presence in Albi around 1165.[5] In 1208, Pope Innocent III launched the Albigensian Crusade, named after Albi, to destroy the Cathars in Southern France.[6]

It ended in 1209 with the defeat and massacre of the Cathars at Carcassonne, and the end of the semi-independence of the States of Languedoc. In 1229, Albi came under the joint rule of the Lord of Castres and of King Louis VIII of France.[7]


English: Albi Cathedral’s Gothic Rood Screen.
Note the empty statue niches. The statues were destroyed during The French Revolution.
Français : Jubé gothique vu depuis la nef.
Abside en arrière plan (Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile, Albi).
Photo: 2 July 2008.
Source: Own work.
Author: Pom²
(Wikimedia Commons)


Bernard de Castanet (1240–1317), who became Bishop of Albi in 1276, was the key figure behind the construction of the Gothic Cathedral. He was a judge and lawyer, had been an officer of The Inquisition for Languedoc, and later became a Cardinal.

He raised funds for the new building by setting aside one-twentieth of the revenue of the Chapter, and offering Spiritual incentives to Parishioners who donated a tenth of their income.

He also made imaginative use of the Relics of Saint Cecilia, owned by the Church, in his fundraising. He economised by using brick, rather than stone, to construct the new Cathedral, which was easier work.

PART TWO FOLLOWS.
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