medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
From: Diana Wright <[log in to unmask]>
> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article3903847.ece
amateurs.
in the '80s i was working with the charters in the archives during the week,
constantly comming across interesting places, sometimes making excursions on
the weekend out to the sites mentioned in the charters.
rarely did i find a place with interesting documentation which could be
matched up with a surviving contemporary church.
an exception was the Marmoutier [Tours] priory of St. Martin de Brethencourt,
up near Dourdan (20 miles or so North of Chartres), several of whose
interesting charters from the late 11th & 12th c. survive.
the church itself turned out to be a very rare example of a c. 1100 building
in the region, somewhat modest in size, heavy drum columns in the main,
round-arched arcade, but with a lovely little portal with capitals sketchily
decorated in foliate forms nearly identical to ones which i was seeing
decorating the endorsements[!] of many of the Marmoutier charters i was
working with.
Francoise and i hit it on a Saturday afternoon, but it was (duh) locked up
tight; so we returned on Sunday --which happened to be Palm Sunday.
the little church was packed and we followed the 2 hour Latin mass in aging
missals, taking part in the procession out the west portal, standing outside
in a light drizzle while the priest banged on the closed doors with his
crozier three times, chanting "Tolete O Portas!" [or whatever] until he (and
we) gained entry to the Heavenly Jerusalem.
turns out that the congregation was connected to the renegade Bishop
(Lefevre??) and *extremely* conservative --there were tables at the front of
the nave with the Prophesies of Marechal Petain and other really interesting
stuff.
the church now has a website, with a few views:
http://brethencourt.free.fr/
the little portal
http://brethencourt.free.fr/images/Eglise/Porche1.JPG
with its caps
http://brethencourt.free.fr/images/Eglise/chapiteauxgauche.JPG
http://brethencourt.free.fr/images/Eglise/Chapiteauxdroite.jpg
the only shot i can find on the site which shows something of the elevation of
the nave
http://brethencourt.free.fr/images/2008/P1010149.JPG
a procession through the village
http://brethencourt.free.fr/images/2006/Premi%E8re%20communion%2018juin2006%20(28).jpg
c
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