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
What remains of the cathedral to-day is reminiscent of a highly
interesting mediæval foundation, though its general aspect is distinctly
modern. Such rebuilding and restoration as it underwent, in the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, made of it practically a new
edifice.
The one feature of mark, which stands alone as the representative of
mediæval times, is the charming tower which flanks the main body of the
church on the right.
It is known as the "Tour Fenestrelle" and is of the thirteenth century.
It would be a notable accessory to any great church, and is of seven
stories in height, each dwindling in size from the one below, forming a
veritable campanile. Its height is 130 feet.
The interior attractions of this minor church are greater than might be
supposed. There is a low gallery with a superb series of wrought-iron
_grilles_, a fine tomb in marble--to Bishop Boyan--and in the transept
two paintings by Simon de Chalons--a "Resurrection" and a "Raising of
Lazarus."
The inevitable obtrusive organ-case is of the seventeenth century, and
like all of its kind is a parasitical abomination, clinging precariously
to the western wall.
The sacristy is an extensive suite of rooms which contain throughout a
deep-toned and mellow oaken wainscot.
For the rest, the lines of this church follow the conventionality of its
time. Its proportions, while not great, are good, and there is no marked
luxuriance of ornament or any exceeding grace in the entire structure,
if we except the detached tower before mentioned.
The situation of the town is most picturesque; not daintily pretty, but
of a certain dignified order, which is the more satisfying.
The ancient château, called Le Duché, is the real architectural treat of
the place.
XVI
ST. JEAN D'ALAIS
Alais is an ancient city, but greatly modernized; moreover it does not
take a supreme rank as a cathedral city, from the fact that it held a
bishop's throne for but a hundred years. Alais was a bishopric only from
1694 to 1790.
The cathedral of St. Jean is an imposing structure of that obtrusive
variety of architectural art known as "Louis Quinze," and is unworthy of
the distinction once bestowed upon it.
Perhaps it is due to the fact that the Cevenole country was so largely
and aggressively Protestant that the see of Alais did not endure. Robert
Louis Stevenson tells of a stranger he met in these mountain parts--that
he was a Catholic, "and made no shame of it. No shame of it! The phrase
is a piece of natural statistics; for it is the language of one of a
minority.... Ireland is still Catholic; the Cevennes still Protestant.
Outdoor rustics have not many ideas, but such as they have are hardy
plants and thrive flourishingly in persecution."
Built about in the façade of this unfeeling structure are some remains
of a twelfth-century church, but they are not of sufficient bulk or
excellence to warrant remark.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account