Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges Cathedral (French: ''Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges'') is a former Roman Catholic cathedral in
Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges
Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges (, literally ''Saint-Bertrand of Comminges''; Gascon: ''Sent Bertran de Comenge'') is a commune (municipality) and former episcopal see in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France. It is a member of the ...
,
Haute-Garonne
Haute-Garonne (; oc, Nauta Garona, ; en, Upper Garonne) is a department in the Occitanie region of Southwestern France. Named after the river Garonne, which flows through the department. Its prefecture and main city is Toulouse, the country's ...
, southwestern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. It was the seat of the
Ancient Diocese of Comminges
The former French Catholic diocese of Comminges existed at least from the sixth century, to the French Revolution. The seat of the bishops was at Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, now no more than a village, in the modern department of Haute-Garonne in ...
.
Description
Entering the nave, three distinct architectural styles can be seen at the same time:
* The Romanesque part of the 12th century.
* The Gothic part of the 14th century commissioned by
Bertrand de Goth.
* And the Renaissance part as well as the organ from the 16th century.
The
narthex
The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...
ends in two huge pillars, each with a circumference of no less than 11.45m. Over the northern and southern walls one can see the Romanesque arches, the floor is made of marble and includes some tombs and sepulchres. The cloister is also clearly Romanesque and offers an impressive view over the entire valley.
The Gothic part is built in the Meridional
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
style. There is a single nave that is 55m long, 16m wide and 28m high. Over the arrow arches there are the coats of arms of the founding bishops. The stained glass windows are impressive with their intricate details, almost comparable to those of
Auch
Auch (; oc, label= Gascon, Aush ) is a commune in southwestern France. Located in the region of Occitanie, it is the capital of the Gers department. Auch is the historical capital of Gascony.
Geography
Localization
Hydrography
The Riv ...
.
The stalls within the choir were commissioned by
Jean de Mauléon but because of the lack of documents it is impossible to name the artist that made them, although, by comparison with other stalls, these are often considered to be the work of
Nicolas Bachelier
Nicolas Bachelier (1485–1557) was a French surveyor, architect, and sculptor who particularly worked in Toulouse.
Bachelier is famous in Toulouse for having been the architect, proven or presumed, of several '' hôtels particuliers'' of the Ren ...
, or rather, of his school which had been using artists from
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
and
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. Most of the work was done in oak and walnut tree, and the choir seems to be separate from the rest of the church in that it contrasts so much with the Gothic and Romanesque parts.
The sixty-seven stalls represent characters from both the Old and the New Testaments, including scenes such as 'temptation', 'envy' and 'lust'.
Inside the sanctuary it is possible to see some representations of the ''
chanson de geste
The ''chanson de geste'' (, from Latin 'deeds, actions accomplished') is a medieval narrative, a type of epic poem that appears at the dawn of French literature. The earliest known poems of this genre date from the late 11th and early 12th cen ...
'' the ''
Song of Roland
''The Song of Roland'' (french: La Chanson de Roland) is an 11th-century ''chanson de geste'' based on the Frankish military leader Roland at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778 AD, during the reign of the Carolingian king Charlemagne. It is t ...
'', with Oliver clearly represented.
Bizarrely, there is a stuffed crocodile inside the cathedral. This fact, as well as a general description of the cathedral itself and details of its history, features prominently in
Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book
"Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book" is a horror story by British writer M. R. James, which was written in 1894 and published the following year in the ''National Review''. It was included in his first short story collection, '' Ghost Stories of an Antiq ...
, a ghost story by
M. R. James
Montague Rhodes James (1 August 1862 – 12 June 1936) was an English author, medievalist scholar and provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–1918), and of Eton College (1918–1936). He was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambrid ...
.
The former cathedral has been listed as a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
as part of the
.
See also
References
External links
*
Website of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges Cathedral
{{Coord, 43, 1, 36, N, 0, 34, 16, E, type:landmark_region:FR, display=title
Former cathedrals in France
Churches in Haute-Garonne
World Heritage Sites in France