Beaulieu Abbey - Abbaye de Beaulieu-en
Transcription
Beaulieu Abbey - Abbaye de Beaulieu-en
beaulieu EN_beaulieu 15/11/12 18:18 Page1 Visit A Cistercian abbey Information History Visit A Cistercian abbey ▲ Information History ▲ ▲ Visit A Cistercian abbey Information English An example of a Cistercian abbey Glossary The Cistercian order Albigensian Crusade: a religious war waged against the Cathars in the south of France in the early 13th century. Cisterican order: a Benedictine monastic order relating to Cîteaux Abbey. Cluniac: relating to Cluny Abbey, head of a Benedictine monastic order which became powerful throughout Europe from the 10th century onwards. Hagioscope: opening in a wall facing the altar, the sacred part of the church. In commendam: direct appointment of an abbot by the king, contrary to the principle of election recommended in the rules. Prosper Mérimée (1803-1870): one of the first inspectors of historical monuments. Routier: armed mercenaries who pillaged under the authority of a gang leader. Squinch: a vault supporting section allowing a progression from a square to a circular shape. Wars of Religion: civil wars between Protestants and Roman Catholics, which tore France apart during the second half of the 16th century. The order was founded by Robert de Molesmes in 1098 with the intention of restoring strict observance of the rule written by Saint Benedict of Nursia in the 6th century. The founder believed that the luxury with which the Cluniacs* served God was detrimental to their spiritual life. The development of the order owes much to the charisma of Saint Bernard (1090-1153), a Clairvaux monk who defended asceticism and plain, strict liturgy, without any ostentatious ornamentation - the same principle that was carried over into the architecture. Uniform organisation Each abbey affiliated to the order lived off its own resources, which were essentially agricultural and community-based. The land assets were enriched by gifts and legacies. The monks shared their time between prayer and spiritual work. The lay brothers were responsible for domestic chores as well as work in the fields and within the enclosure. Outside, the specialist barns (workshop, cattle, etc.) played their part in the rational farming of the estate. The Cistercian world made a huge contribution to clearing new farmland in the 12th and 13th centuries. The monastery buildings were organised according to an immutable plan: Beaulieu Abbey, the 45th foundation of the Cistercian order*, is a fine example of this. Practical information Average length of visit: 1 hour. Specific facilities for disabled visitors. Centre des monuments nationaux Abbaye de Beaulieu 82330 Ginals tél. 05 63 24 50 10 / 05 63 24 50 13 www.monuments-nationaux.fr *Explanations overleaf. Beaulieu Abbey Sober architecture and contemporary art From Cistercian Abbey... crédits photos © Ministère de la Culture – Médiathèque du patrimoine, dist. RMN / Médéric Mieusement. illustration Tout pour plaire. conception graphique Plein Sens, Anders. réalisation beau fixe. traduction Caractères et cætera. impression Stipa, janvier 2013. History The church at the end of the 18th century The abbey, founded by Adhémar III, Bishop of Rodez in 1144, belonged to the Cistercian order*. During the Albigensian crusade*, the first church was destroyed, probably by routiers*. It was rebuilt from 1275 onwards. During the Wars of Religion*, the abbey was devastated and later partly raised up from its ruins. It was gradually abandoned after the institution of in commendam* in the 17th century. The abbey was sold as national property in 1791 and became a farm. The church, bequeathed to the town of Saint-Antonin-NobleVal, was to be moved there stone by stone. Prosper Mérimée* denounced the absurdity of this project, which was finally abandoned. The abbey church was listed as a historic monument in 1875. ...to contemporary art In 1959, Pierre Brache and Geneviève Bonnefoi undertook restoration work with the help of the State. In 1973, their collection of art from the 1940s to the present day was left, along with the abbey, to the Caisse nationale des monuments historiques et des sites, now known as the Centre des monuments nationaux. *Explanations overleaf. beaulieu EN_beaulieu 15/11/12 18:18 Page4 History Visit A Cistercian abbey Information ▲ The abbey church The church is 56 metres long and 10 metres wide. 1 The facade is decorated with a seven-pointed rose window and a doorway on which the style of the sculpted characters indicates the period during which the building work was completed the early 14th century. 2 The nave is very pure gothic from the second half of the 13th century. It is remarkable for its height and its 8-metre tall, high, narrow windows. Its plainness is characteristic of Cistercian architecture. Clear glass has thus been chosen to represent the old windows, which most probably did not originally include coloured patterns. 3 Above the transept intersection there is a beautiful ribbed vault with eight radiating segments on squinches*, with light from four rose windows. 4 In the choir, light is provided by seven lancet windows. There are three more rose windows at the ends of the nave and the two transept wings. The church therefore had seven rose windows in all - an important figure in Christian symbolism. The Paschal lamb is sculpted on the keystone of the choir. 5 In the south chapel, a high door leads to the dormitory: the monks came this way to night services. A hagioscope* enabled sick monks to follow the services from a distance. 6 Near the gate of the dead, to the north, a crossribbed keystone represents the hand of God. Well after its listing in 1875, the church was used as a stable, and later as a fodder barn. The monastery buildings The east building was reserved for the monks and included the essential rooms for their daily and spiritual life. On the first floor, there was 6 3 5 2 1 8 9 10 7 8 9 10 11 To 12 7 The lay building N 4 To 13 the dormitory, whose roof, which was raised in the 17th century, enclosed the rose window in the southern transept of the church, in the form of a star of David. In the sacristy, on the ground floor, there are a few remains of the stones of the former cloisters. The chapter house is the oldest room in the abbey. It was built in the 13th century and is the most archaic in form, with its large columns without capitals and massive square arches decorated with old colours and geometric patterns. The site of the cloisters, built in the 14th century, is marked on the ground by a paved strip. The south building used to house the kitchen, monks’ refectory, warming room and scriptorium. It was raised in the 17th century and converted into an abbey house, with turrets built on either side a century later. It now houses residential premises and administrative offices. In the Middle Ages, there was a passageway linking the lay building to the nave of the abbey church, especially for the lay people, so that they could attend the services separately from the monks. This passageway in the west wing of the cloisters was called the ‘lay alley’. 11 The Gothic cellar, built in the second half of the 13th century, remains intact. It was used as a wine cellar in the 19th century. Only the floor slab was changed; the marks on the concrete show where the barrels were kept. The ceiling has ten cross ribs, resting in the middle on four round columns, with capitals decorated with highly stylised flat leaves, characteristic of the plain decorations of the Cistercians*. The ribs are square and the keystones sculpted with geometric patterns. 12 The old dormitory, on the first floor, is a reminder that the communal living conditions of the lay brothers were similar to those of the monks. The contemporary art collection Pierre Brache and Geneviève Bonnefoi, who took a keen interest in the art of their time, built up a rich and varied collection, including works by Dubuffet, Hantaï, Michaux, Degottex, Viera Da Silva and others. A new donation was added to this collection in 1981. 13 The large pond, used to breed trout, has been replenished with trout and carp. (not on plan) *Explanations overleaf.