The Cathedrals of Southern FranceMansfield, M. F. (Milburg Francisco)
History
The Cathedrals of Southern France
Mansfield, M. F. (Milburg Francisco)
Cathedrals -- France; France -- Description and travel
There is, moreover, in the cathedral of St. Apollinaire, a small but
highly interesting "Romanesque-Auvergnian" cathedral; rebuilt and
reconsecrated by Urban II., in the eleventh century, and again
reconstructed, on an entirely new plan, in 1604. Besides this curious
church there is a "Protestant temple," which occupies the former chapel
of the ancient Abbey of St. Rufus, that should have a singularly
appealing interest for English-speaking folk.
The préfecture occupies another portion of the abbey, which in its
various disintegrated parts is worthy of more than passing
consideration.
The bishopric was founded here at Valence in the fourth century--when
Emelien became the first bishop. The see endures to-day as a suffragan
of Avignon; whereas formerly it owed obedience to Vienne (now Lyon et
Vienne).
The ancient cathedral of St. Apollinaire is almost wholly conceived and
executed in what has come to be known as the Lombard style.
The main body of the church is preceded on the west by an extravagant
rectangular tower, beneath which is the portal or entrance; if, as in
the present instance, the comprehensive meaning of the word suggests
something more splendid than a mere doorway.
There has been remarked before now that there is a suggestion of the
Corinthian order in the columns of both the inside and outside of the
church. This is a true enough detail of Lombard forms as it was of the
Roman style, which in turn was borrowed from the Greeks. In later times
the neo-classical details of the late Renaissance period produced quite
a different effect, and were in no way comparable to the use of this
detail in the Lombard and Romanesque churches.
In St. Apollinaire, too, are to be remarked the unusual arch formed of a
rounded trefoil. This is found in both the towers, and is also seen in
St. Maurice at Vienne, but not again until the country far to the
northward and eastward is reached, where they are more frequent,
therefore their use here may be considered simply as an interpolation
brought from some other soil, rather than an original conception of the
local builder.
Here also is seen the unusual combination of an angular pointed arch in
conjunction with the round-headed Lombard variety. This, in alternation
for a considerable space, on the south side of the cathedral. It is a
feature perhaps not worth mentioning, except from the fact that both the
trefoil and wedge-pointed arch are singularly unbeautiful and little in
keeping with an otherwise purely southern structure.
The aisles of St. Apollinaire, like those of Notre Dame de la Grande at
Poitiers, and many other Lombardic churches, are singularly narrow,
which of course appears to lengthen them out interminably.
If any distinctive style can be given this small but interesting
cathedral, it may well be called the style of Lyonnaise.
It dates from the twelfth century as to its foundations, but was rebuilt
on practically a new ground-plan in 1604.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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