medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Phyllis Jestice <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Anianus of Chartres (1st half 5th cent.) ...A church was built over his tomb
that later burned down twice without destroying Anianus' relics in the
process. (This seems to be a Chartres specialty---relics miraculously
preserved in fire. At least the only other case I've heard of is the Virgin's
Robe of Chartres cathedral. Does anyone know if this is a common topos?)
Dear Phyllis,
i'd be interested to know that as well.
the miraculously challenged might note that it is *said* (i forget whether or
not this actually appears in any contemporary, immediately post-1194 source,
however) that the _camisia_ was saved because it was in the crypt when the
fire struck.
the crypt of Fulbert's cathedral (and previous ones) largely survives beneath
the present 13th c. High Gothic structure and was certainly a liturgically
signicant part of the institution, but i *believe* that the relic of the
Virgin was kept in the choir --or, rather, the north ambulatory of the choir--
which, in Fulbert's building, *may* have been stone vaulted and, thus, more or
less survived the fire, at least below the roof level.
the church of St. Aignan in Chartres is to be found several blocks south of
the cathedral and is, mostly, a 16th c. structure, at least above ground.
it is built on the edge of the hill, however, which descends rather rapidly
towards the East just there (the West facade is at "ground level") and there
is a rather steep stairway running by the side of the church leading down --or
up, if you're heading West-- the hill.
i have been *told* that there is quite a large crypt upon which the choir of
the present church is built, and i've always intended on trying to visit it,
but never got around to it. whether or not the earlier churches had this
two-storey layout, i know not.
Aignan's cult was quite popular in the region, i believe, with an important
collegiate abbey dedicated to him in Orleans --which, as it happens, has a
crypt with important "proto-romanesque" capitals in it.
which i've also always intended to visit but never got around to.
Also, there's a St. Aignan in Etampes, i believe.
crypts are just the ticket for preserving relics, i would think, but would
entail making them the (or *a*) liturgical center as well.
they are also very common in that region, where topographic conditions permit
them. the important Benedictine abbey of St. Peter's of Chartres lies down
near the river, south of the cathedral, and has no crypt, i assume because of
the proximity to the water table. the same hydrographic (or -static?)
conditions prevail at the very important (destroyed) abbey of St. Mary of
Josaphat at Leves, a vew miles down the Eure from the sacred city.
but the ancient priory of Marmoutier, St. Martin's, just outside the old city,
has a fair-sized and interesting one, perhaps the "original" church itself,
over which the present, *quite* large, structure was built at the end of the
11th-early 12th c.
and, there's even one to be found under the vaulted 11th c. apse of the tiny
village church of Champhol (actually probably a priory of the owner of the
_villa_, the abbey of St. Peter's) --which is the church you see if you stand
in the bishops' garden off the apse of the cathedral and look East, across the
valley of the Eure to the plane opposite.
i know of very few village churches in that region with crypts, however, now
that i think upon it.
surely there are others present who know more about these subterranean matters
than i.
best from here,
christopher
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
|