The Basilica of Saint-Julian of Brioude is a

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

of the

Auvergne Auvergne (; ; or ) is a cultural region in central France. As of 2016 Auvergne is no longer an administrative division of France. It is generally regarded as conterminous with the land area of the historical Province of Auvergne, which was dis ...

Romanesque style located in the territory of the French commune of

Brioude Brioude (; Auvergnat: ''Briude'') is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-central France. It lies on the banks of the river Allier, a tributary of the Loire. History At Brioude, the ancient ''Bri ...

, in the department of

Haute-Loire Haute-Loire (; or ''Naut Leir''; English: Upper Loire) is a landlocked department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Named after the Loire River, it is surrounded by the departments of Loire, Ardèche, Lozère, Canta ...

in the

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (; AURA) or ; or ; . is a Regions of France, region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes. The new region came into e ...

region. It is classified as a

historical monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

Location

The Basilica of Saint-Julian is located in the southern margin of the former

Diocese of Clermont The Archdiocese of Clermont (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Claromontana''; French language, French: ''Archidiocèse de Clermont'') is a Latin Church, Latin archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese comprises the Departments of Fr ...

, in the municipality of Brioude, in the French department of Haute-Loire.

History

The first sanctuary dedicated to Saint Julian dates back to the late 4th century. It was built on the presumed tomb of the saint by a Spanish lady, as a token of gratitude for the fulfillment of her vow.

Gregory of Tours Gregory of Tours (born ; 30 November – 17 November 594 AD) was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours during the Merovingian period and is known as the "father of French history". He was a prelate in the Merovingian kingdom, encom ...

reports that the saint's fame spread, attracting pilgrims. A first church was then built. The Duke Victorius, the

Visigothic The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied barbarian military group united under the comman ...

governor of Auvergne, adorned it with marble columns from ancient monuments; the remains of fluted columns found today in the crypt may be part of them. A clergy was established to celebrate worship and welcome the faithful: Gregory of Tours mentions in his writings the existence of a monastery and monks. The construction of the Romanesque church dates back to the first quarter of the 12th century. It was favored by the development of the town of Brioude, which became a place of pilgrimage and a stop on the routes to Santiago de Compostela,

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, and

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

. A militia was allegedly established to guard the saint's tomb, later replaced by a

college of canons According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. In ...

. The chapter then sought to break free from the control of the Counts of Auvergne. Pope

Urban II Pope Urban II (; – 29 July 1099), otherwise known as Odo of Châtillon or Otho de Lagery, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 March 1088 to his death. He is best known for convening the Council of Clermon ...

, who came to preach the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the Middle Ages. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Muslim conquest ...

in Clermont in 1095, placed Saint-Julian under his direct authority. His successor,

Paschal II Pope Paschal II (; 1050 1055 – 21 January 1118), born Raniero Raineri di Bleda, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 August 1099 to his death in 1118. A monk of the Abbey of Cluny, he was creat ...

, confirmed the chapter's right to appoint its abbot and provost. King

Louis VII Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), called the Younger or the Young () to differentiate him from his father Louis VI, was King of France from 1137 to 1180. His first marriage was to Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of the wealthiest and ...

also asserted that the chapter depended on him. Dissensions arose within the chapter itself, reflecting the rivalry between the families of Mercœur and Auvergne. In 1223, after the incorporation of Auvergne into the royal domain, the chapter bought back from the Counts of Auvergne their feudal rights over Brioude. The chapter of Saint-Julian maintained its control over Brioude until the Revolution, which led to its dissolution. The church, reassigned for parish use in 1794, saw one of its bell towers demolished and the other decapitated.

References

External links

Monuments historiques of Haute-Loire Churches in Haute-Loire {{improve categories, date=March 2024 Romanesque architecture in France