Antoine Salvanh (hamlet of Vabrette, at Ayssènes; c. 1476 – c. 1554), was a Rouergat architect from the first half of the 16th century who made the transition between the
flamboyant gothic
Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-tr ...
and the styles.
He married in 1516 with the daughter of an hotelier from
Espalion
Espalion (; oc, Espaliu) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.
Population
Sights
* Château de Calmont d'Olt
*The Pont-Vieux (Old Bridge) is part of the World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in Fr ...
of whom he had an eldest son, Jean, who was an architect and took over the work from his father.
Biography
Long ignored, the life of Antoine Salvanh came out of anonymity thanks to research done in the 19th century by local archivists. We know nothing about his formative years.
His first work is known by a
sales quote
A sales quote allows a prospective buyer to see the costs that will be involved for desired work. Many businesses provide services that cannot have an upfront price because the costs involved can vary. This can be due to the materials used, which c ...
dating from May 1508 giving the provisions of the
rood-screen
The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or ...
Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac
Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac (; Languedocien: ''Sanch Èli d'Aubrac'' or ''Sench Eli d'Aubrac'') is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France about 7 kilometres from Aubrac.
Population
Location
The town is in a large and beautiful gre ...
. This one disappeared in the 19th century, but what remained of this rood was drawn in 1833 in ''Les voyages pittoresques et romantiques ans l'ancienne France, Languedoc'', after J. Taylor, Ch. Nodier and A. Cailleux, in 1834. The drawing shows a work from the First Renaissance which is the oldest of this style known in
Rouergue
Rouergue (; ) is a former province of France, corresponding roughly with the modern department of Aveyron. Its historical capital is Rodez. It is bounded on the north by Auvergne, on the south and southwest by Languedoc, on the east by Gévaudan ...
.
On 17 July 1508, he was in Espalion to sign the sales quote for the portal of the begun in 1472. The consuls demanded a "peyra blanca" portal based on a sandstone structure. He was associated for this work with a sculptor of
Cruéjouls
Cruéjouls (Languedocien: ''Cruèjols'') is a former commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Palmas-d'Aveyron.cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rodez. The absence of the bishop, , who was at the gallican council, entailed that the work on the new bell tower did not begin until 1513, the date given by Salvanh in July 1544 in a trial. The city's accounts give a start date for the work in the autumn of 1512. Sales quote were given in spring 1512 for delivery of materials ''ad opus edificii cloquerii Beate Marie''. On this date, Bernard Anthony was still, for one year, the
general contractor
A general contractor, main contractor or prime contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and the communication of information to all involved parties throughout the course of ...
in charge of the cathedral's work notes that the bishop of Rodez visited the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste d'Espalion two days after the cathedral fire and that he was in Aubrac on 10 May 1510, two churches on which Salvanh worked. Salvanh replaced him later for the realization of the new bell tower. The date 1523 engraved on the oldest bell gives an end date of construction. The lantern over it bears the date 1526, the date of completion as indicated by the inscription ''consommatum est 1526''.
Salvanh continued work on the nave of the cathedral at the same time. The walls of the central nave were built in 1530. The vaults were made shortly afterwards and bear the date 1542. Antoine Salvanh built the chapels of the western bays because he asked in his 1552 will to be buried in the second chapel, Saint-Roch chapel, which he said he had built. The facade of the cathedral dates from the first third of the 16th century and the arms of François d'Estaing can be seen at the level of the rose. It can be seen that the style of the buildings changed from the 1520s without being sure of the designer's name: chapel of the canon Gaillard Roux or of the tomb, crenellated tribune of the canons' sacristy, fences of the choir and the roundabout. In 1529,
Georges d'Armagnac
Georges d'Armagnac (c. 1501 – July 1585) was a French humanist, patron of arts, Cardinal and diplomat deeply embroiled in the Italian Wars and in the French Wars of Religion.
Biography
He was born at Avignon, the son of Pierre d'Armagna ...
was appointed Bishop of Rodez.
On 8 December 1521, the new Prior of
Saint-Côme-d'Olt
Saint-Côme-d'Olt (, literally ''Saint-Côme of Olt''; oc, Sant Cosme) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. It is one of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (most beautiful villages of France).
Geography
The commune is ...
obtained from Guy de Castelnau, bishop of Périgueux, to enlarge the church Saint-Côme-Saint-Damien. On 12 December 1521, gave Salvanh the price he would pay for repairing the church. Salvanh probably limited himself to the facade. The prize was confirmed in October 1524, honoured in 1528. The ornate gate casements are dated 1532.
The church of the convent of the Annonciades of Rodez built from 1517 required rework. The administrators of the convent entrusted the repair work to Salvanh so that the building could receive the tomb of the founder, canon Hélyon Jouffroy, who died in 1529. Three contracts were awarded: the first, on 31 March 1530, to extend the church by a span, the second in 1536, for the construction of the tomb of the Franciscan father Gilbert Nicolas, the last, on 27 November 1538, for the reconstruction of the
choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...
.
The Salvanh
Salvanh was the son of Bertrand Salvanh, originally from a village near
Saint-Rome-de-Tarn
Saint-Rome-de-Tarn (, literally ''Saint-Rome of Tarn (river), Tarn''; Languedocien dialect, Languedocien: ''Sant Roma de Tarn'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Aveyron Departments of France, department in southern France.
Population
...
and the father of Jean Salvanh who continued his father's work at
Rodez Cathedral
Rodez Cathedral (french: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rodez) is a Roman Catholic church architecture, church located in town of Rodez, in the department of Aveyron in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie region of Southern France. The cat ...
.
We know a Guillaume Salvanh, native of
Salles-Curan
Salles-Curan (; oc, Las Salas) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.
Geography
The ''lac de Pareloup'' forms part of the commune's northern border.
The river Céor has its source in the western part of the commune.
P ...
, married in 1481, and who was called in expertise by the consuls of Millau in September 1492. He was also master builder of the Rodez Cathedral in 1492–1493.J. Artières, ''Guillaume Salvanh, maître d'œuvre de la cathédrale de Rodez (1492–1493)'', Procès-verbaux des séances de la Société des lettres, sciences et arts de l'Aveyron, 31, 1927–1930, The relationship between Guillaume Salvanh and Antoine Salvanh is unknown. Maybe he was his uncle. These family ties, if they existed, could explain the formation of Antoine Salvanh and his knowledge of the high clergy of Rouergue, in particular of the two brothers, François d'Estaing, bishop of Rodez, and Antoine d'Estaing, prior of Aubrac, then bishop of Angoulême.
Bibliography
* Étienne Hamon, ''Itinéraire d'un architecte rouergat entre gothique flamboyant et Renaissance : l'œuvre d'Antoine Salvanh'', , in ''Du gothique à la Renaissance. Architecture et décor en France 1470–1550'', Publications de l'Université de Provence, Aix-en-Provence, 2003
* Jacques Baudoin, ''La sculpture flamboyante en Rouergue, Languedoc'', , Éditions Créer, Nonette, 200 Extraits * Louis Bion de Marlavagne, ''Histoire de la cathédrale de Rodez: avec pièces justificatives et de nombreux documents sur les églises et les anciens artistes du Rouergue, ornée de 27 gravures'', 1875;
* , ''Biographie aveyronnaise'', printing press H. de Broca, 1881;
* Henri Affre, ''Lettres sur l'histoire de Rodez'', printing press H. de Broca, 1874;
* , ''Nouveau dictionnaire biographique et critique des architectes français'', , A. Daly fils et Cie, Paris, 188 (Read online (views 542–543))