Vanished Halls and Cathedrals of FranceEdwards, George Wharton
History
Vanished Halls and Cathedrals of France
Edwards, George Wharton
Cathedrals -- France; Cities and towns -- France; France -- Description and travel
Here then in this small chapel was a collection of marvels of decorative
art, tapestries of Arras, examples of the jeweler's craft, illuminations
upon vellum, a hundred or more priceless volumes, and notably a
collection of funerary urns, containing the ashes of most illustrious
personages, including some of the Saints. Among the treasures in this
small chapel was a series of the tapestries of Gobelin, another of
Beauvais, and a third complete pictorial set made in Antwerp after the
cartoons of Nicolas Memling. These last, just before the destruction of
Gèrbéviller, were presented to the Cathedral of Nancy. The others are
among the ashes of the ruins.
The Master altar of the chapel was covered by a magnificent "ciborium,"
raised upon three columns of black marble, ornamented by "tears" of
silver of twelfth century workmanship. The great candelabra, called
"Flambeaux," were of Flemish work, and had twenty-four lusters; these
were destroyed.
There were splendid tombs on all sides; one was a reproduction of that
of Henry I, Count of Champagne, and of St. Etienne of Troyes; the tomb
of Lombartye, of de la Vieufville, of Rochechourt-la-Rochefoucauld, of
du Caylar, of Vieuville, of Gouy d'Arsy, and that of Père Jandel the
Dominican. All these are mutilated and broken. Of the funeral urns,
one contained the ashes of St. Auguste, the martyr; another of what is
called "cipollin," the ashes of Ste Victoire; a red marble one those of
St. Vital; a "chasse" held a portion of the petrified bones of Candide,
presented by the Bishop of Nancy. Another one contained the bones of St.
Felix Romain.
A great tall "ciborium" contained the "relique" of Tarcisius, the young
martyr of the Eucharist. These, contained in a wonderful chest covered
with vermilion enamel, bore an epitaph composed by Pope Damase, and were
brought from Rome by the Dominicans. Overjoyed in the possession of such
a treasure, the Marquis of Lombartye, sought an artist of renown who
could make a fitting monument to contain it. His choice fell upon
Fal-guière the sculptor. He it was who fashioned the exquisite statue in
the Luxembourg. But it is not generally known that this is a replica of
the original which was in the Chapel of Gèrbéviller, and which is now
entirely destroyed.
I understand that in searching the ruins, certain fragments of precious
objects have been found and removed to Paris.
M. Pigot in his report claims that the head of Fal-guière's statue of
St. Tarcisius was found among the ashes, and, placed in a strong oaken
box, has been given into the hands of M. le Sous-Préfet of Lunéville.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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