Liège Cathedral, otherwise St. Paul's Cathedral, Liège, in
Liège
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
, Belgium, is part of the religious heritage of Liège. Founded in the 10th century, it was rebuilt from the 13th to the 15th century and restored in the mid-19th century. It became a Catholic cathedral in the 19th century due to the destruction of Saint Lambert's Cathedral in 1795. It is the seat of the
Diocese of Liège
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
.
St. Paul's Cathedral
During the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
the ancient cathedral of Liège, St. Lambert's, was destroyed. After the revolution the former collegiate church of St. Paul's was elevated in rank, becoming the current Liège Cathedral.
History
The present cathedral was formerly one among the
Seven collegiate churches of Liège
The seven collegiate churches of Liège (french: sept collégiales de Liège) were a group of 10th- and early-11th-century foundations in the city of Liège. Each of these collegiate churches was a privileged corporation within the city, with its o ...
Liège Revolution
The Liège Revolution, sometimes known as the Happy Revolution (french: Heureuse Révolution; wa, Binamêye revolucion), against the reigning prince-bishop of Liège, started on 18 August 1789 and lasted until the destruction of the Republic ...
of 1789 together comprised the "secondary clergy" of the
First Estate
The estates of the realm, or three estates, were the broad orders of social hierarchy used in Christendom (Christian Europe) from the Middle Ages to early modern Europe. Different systems for dividing society members into estates developed and ...
in the
Prince-bishopric of Liège
The Prince-Bishopric of Liège or Principality of Liège was an Hochstift, ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that was situated for the most part in present-day Belgium. It was an Imperial State, Imperial Estate, so the List of ...
(the "primary clergy" being the canons of St. Lambert's cathedral).
Origin and buildings
Saint-Germain Chapel
In 967,
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
Eraclus
Eraclus, alternatively Eraclius or Evraclus, was the 25th bishop of Liège (959–971).
Life
Educated by Rathier, Eraclus served as dean of Bonn, before being elected bishop of Liège with the support of Bruno of Cologne. He was consecrated on ...
built this church. The basilica was raised only up to the windows when Eraclus died. He instituted a college of twenty canons to whom Notger, who completed the building begun by his predecessor, added ten more.
Saint-Calixte Chapel
The hamlet formed on the island had rapidly expanded, so much so that a second chapel had to be built a short distance from the first one. It was dedicated to
Callixtus I
Pope Callixtus I, also called Callistus I, was the bishop of Rome (according to Sextus Julius Africanus) from c. 218 to his death c. 222 or 223.Chapman, John (1908). "Pope Callistus I" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 3. New York: Robert Ap ...
, Pope and martyr. The chroniclers attribute its foundation to Pirard, 36th bishop of Liège and added that he established twelve
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
monasteries, the only order then existing in the county of Liège.
Saint Paul Collegiate
It was upon his return from
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
, where he had attended the funeral of
Bruno the Great
Bruno the Great (german: Brun(o) von Sachsen, "Bruno of Saxony"; la, Bruno Magnus; May 925 – 11 October 965 AD) was Archbishop of Cologne''Religious Drama and Ecclesiastical Reform in the Tenth Century'', James H. Forse, ''Early Theatre'', V ...
, archbishop of that city and vicar of the empire, that Eraclus conceived the project of building a church in honor of
Paul the Apostle
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
.
First allocations
Very little information remains concerning the goods which Eraclus endowed the college with twenty canons which he had created. It seems, however, that the bishop gave the
tithe
A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more r ...
s of the church of (canton of
Glons
Glons (; ) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Bassenge, located in the province of Liège, Belgium.
Glons is a significant site in that it is the home of the NATO Programming Centre The NATO Programming Centre (NPC) is ...
): what is certain is that the collation of this church, which was erected as a parish around 1200, belonged to the chapter of St. Paul until it was suppressed by the French on 27 November 1797.
Notger solemnly consecrated this church on 7 May 972: two altars were dedicated to
Germanus of Auxerre
Germanus of Auxerre ( la, Germanus Antissiodorensis; cy, Garmon Sant; french: Saint Germain l'Auxerrois; 378 – c. 442–448 AD) was a western Roman clergyman who was bishop of Autissiodorum in Late Antique Gaul. He abandoned a career as a h ...
and St. Calixte, in memory of the worship previously rendered to these two saints in the chapels which had been dedicated to them. On 21 April 980, the fortress of
Chèvremont
Chèvremont () is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in northeastern France.
See also
*Communes of the Territoire de Belfort department
The following is a list of the 101 communes of the Territoire ...
was destroyed from top to bottom and the churches that were there demolished. One of them, dedicated to St. Caprasius, had a college of ten priests; the bishop gathered them together with the twenty canons of St. Paul and thus brought their number to thirty. All the property, pensions and tithes of St. Capraise were transferred to the new collegiate church, to which Notger gave the bell called "Dardar", also from Chèvremont.This bell was said to have been drilled four holes. It was destroyed in the nineteenth century.
Building
The
apse
In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...
, constructed in the 14th century in the
Rayonnant
In French Gothic architecture, Rayonnant () is the period from about the mid-13th century to mid-14th century. It was characterized by a shift away from the High Gothic search for increasingly large size toward more spatial unity, refined decora ...
style, is pentagonal. 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
transept
A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...
, the main
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
and the side naves date from the 13th century and have all the characteristics of
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It e ...
of that period. Later Gothic architecture occurs in the windows of the transept and of the nave, the side chapels and the tower. The upper gallery overloaded with pinnacle hooks is modern, as is the storey with the ogival windows and the spire of the belltower with four bells on each side. The lintel of the portal bears an inscription, formerly on the city seal: ''Sancta Legia Ecclesiae Romanae Filia'' ("Holy Liège, daughter of the Roman church").
First known provost and deans
Godescalc
The first authentic mention of a dean and provost of St. Paul can be found in a piece from the year 1083, taken from the
cartulary
A cartulary or chartulary (; Latin: ''cartularium'' or ''chartularium''), also called ''pancarta'' or ''codex diplomaticus'', is a medieval manuscript volume or roll (''rotulus'') containing transcriptions of original documents relating to the fo ...
of this Collegiate Church. It talks about damages caused in the alleu of
Nandrin
Nandrin () is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium.
On January 1, 2006, Nandrin had a total population of 5,539. The total area is 35.90 km² which gives a population density of 154 inhabitants per km².
The ...
, property of the chapter, by Giselbert, Count of Clermont, and his accomplice Frédelon.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
Henri de Verdun
Henri de Verdun was bishop of Liège from 1075 to 1091. He owed his election to the influence of his relative Godfrey IV, Duke of Lower Lorraine, with the Emperor Henry IV.
Henri took part in the Synod of Worms (1076). He was instrumental in refo ...
embraced the defence of the Church's rights and in order to safeguard them in the future, the
advocatus
During the Middle Ages, an (sometimes given as modern English: advocate; German: ; French: ) was an office-holder who was legally delegated to perform some of the secular responsibilities of a major feudal lord, or for an institution such as ...
of Nandrin's alleu was entrusted to a lord named Conon. This ceremony took place in the temple itself, on St. Paul's Day.
A document from the following year attests to the existence of a cloister at that time and that the brothers of St. Paul were called canons.
In 1086, Godescalc instituted several benefits (Eleemosynœ or Prebetidulœ). They were known for a long time as
prebend
A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...
s of Wouteringhen or Wohange. This same year, he founded the altar of saints
John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
,
Nicolas
Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to:
People Given name
* Nicolas (given name)
Mononym
* Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer
* Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer
Surname Nicolas
* Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...
and
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cru ...
. It's the oldest simple profit establishment we've ever had.The prévôt witness of this liberality was called Henri
In 1101, Dean Godescalc was elevated to the dignity of
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...
of Liège, and died shortly afterwards.
Waselin
In 1106, the Collegiale added to its properties part of the territory of Fragnée, acquired and shared by Obert between the churches of the secondary clergy. To celebrate his birthday, on 24 March 1113, Wazelin donated to Saint-Paul his house with all its outbuildings.To this contract were present Henri, provost, and the canons Walter, priest, and Gozelon, treasurer.
The latter rented the tithes of the church of Wendeshem for a rent of 5 Marcs of good money payable in Liège.
New allocations
Godfrey I, Count of Louvain
Godfrey I ( nl, Godfried, 1060 – 25 January 1139), called the Bearded, the Courageous, or the Great, was the Landgrave of Brabant, Count of Brussels and Leuven (Louvain) from 1095 to his death and Duke of Lower Lorraine from 1106 to 1129. He w ...
, in 1135, ceded the tithes of the city of Weert and its uncultivated or cultivated territory to the Collegiate chapter.Among the signatories of this act of liberality were Odon; - Giselbert; - Hellebold; - Helbért; - Franco, the Duke's sample; - Heresto, chamberlain; — Gérard de Vethen (Withem) and his brother Walthère
In 1182, Dean Henry donated the parish church of Laminne to the chapter, which would keep it until it was abolished by the
National Convention
The National Convention (french: link=no, Convention nationale) was the parliament of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for the rest of its existence during the French Revolution, following the two-year National ...
on 20 March 1797. He then bequeathed to the collegiate church the land of Hodimont.
Ebalus became dean in 1185: in the same year, a letter mentions the transfer of the church of
Hermalle-sous-Huy
Hermalle-sous-Huy is a district of the municipality of Engis, located in the province of Liège in Wallonia, Belgium.
During the Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the lat ...
, to the Flône Abbey.Ebalus is there with Peter, provost of Saint Paul. He gave to the collegiate the church of
Lavoir
A lavoir (wash-house) is a public place set aside for the washing of clothes. Communal washing places were common in Europe until industrial washing was introduced, and this process in turn was replaced by domestic washing machines and by laund ...
, dedicated to
Hubertus
Hubertus or Hubert ( 656 – 30 May 727 A.D.) was a Christian saint who became the first bishop of Liège in 708 A.D. He is the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, opticians and metalworkers. Known as the "Apostle of the Ardennes", he was ...
, whose St. Paul's chapter kept the collation until 1797.The act relating to this liberality was signed by Albert, provost of the collegiate church and Archdeacon of Liège.
Pope
Celestine III
Pope Celestine III ( la, Caelestinus III; c. 1106 – 8 January 1198), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 March or 10 April 1191 to his death in 1198. He had a tense relationship with several monarchs, ...
, by a diploma given in Rome on 14 April 1188, confirmed all its possessions to the church of Liège.
Dean Jonah gave the collegiate to the church of St. George's and the church of
Verlaine
Verlaine (; wa, Verlinne) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium.
On January 1, 2006, Verlaine had a total population of 3,507. The total area is 24.21 km2 which gives a population density of 145 inhabitan ...
dedicated to St. Remy in 1198.
Foundation of Val-Benoit and Val des écoliers
Othon Des Prez, elected dean, founded the convent of Sart in 1220, on the left bank of the river
Meuse
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...
, half a
lieue
A league is a unit of length. It was common in Europe and Latin America, but is no longer an official unit in any nation. Derived from an ancient Celtic unit and adopted by the Romans as the ''leuga'', the league became a common unit of measuremen ...
away from the town, and five years later it was renamed the convent of Sart, which was renamed the convent of Val-Benoît, when Cardinal-Legat
Conrad
Conrad may refer to:
People
* Conrad (name)
Places
United States
* Conrad, Illinois, an unincorporated community
* Conrad, Indiana, an unincorporated community
* Conrad, Iowa, a city
* Conrad, Montana, a city
* Conrad Glacier, Washington ...
, Bishop of Porto consecrated the church on the day of Pentecost. He then had the priory of Val-Notre-Dame erected in Liège, in a place then called Gravière (now La Gravioule) and in Saint-Martin-en-Ile, he raised and endowed, with his own money, an altar in honour of
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...
of
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
.This priory of the schoolchildren's order was converted into an abbey by
Pope Gregory XV
Pope Gregory XV ( la, Gregorius XV; it, Gregorio XV; 9 January 15548 July 1623), born Alessandro Ludovisi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 February 1621 to his death in July 1623.
Biography
Early life
Al ...
in 1616 in favour of Winand Latome, who was then prior to it.
New collegiate church
The construction of the new building was probably hampered by a lack of funds and progress was slow. The tower seems to have been finished first; in 1275 the dean Guillaume de Fraynoir had two large bells given by him suspended: one, in honour of the patron saint of the church, was named ''Paula'', and the other ''Concordia'', the name of the mother of this apostle. Cast in July 1275, they announced the services celebrated by the dean. The second of these bells, ''Concordia'', was still ringing in the 19th century; it rang the D of the organs and bore an inscription in Gothic letters.
;Consecration
Everything leads us to believe that the reconstruction of the collegiate church was very advanced in 1289; indeed, on 11 April, both the
consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
of the church and the blessing of the altars took place; solemnities celebrated by the two
suffragans
A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations.
In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdiction ...
of Liège, Edmont, bishop of
Courland
Courland (; lv, Kurzeme; liv, Kurāmō; German and Scandinavian languages: ''Kurland''; la, Curonia/; russian: Курляндия; Estonian: ''Kuramaa''; lt, Kuršas; pl, Kurlandia) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. ...
in
Livonia
Livonia ( liv, Līvõmō, et, Liivimaa, fi, Liivinmaa, German and Scandinavian languages: ', archaic German: ''Liefland'', nl, Lijfland, Latvian and lt, Livonija, pl, Inflanty, archaic English: ''Livland'', ''Liwlandia''; russian: Ли ...
, and brother Bonaventure, of the Order of Citeaux, bishop of Céa.
Floods, fires and earthquakes
;Floods
The coal mines surrounding Liège from the
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...
, despite the prohibition of digging under the town which was not always respected, digging downstream and upstream had the consequence of making Liège a basin and later a dyke. Despite the ramparts, floods followed one another from century to century.
On 4 January 1374, the river
Meuse
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...
grew so big that the island's neighbourhood was flooded as well as the collegiate church of St. Paul to the point where it could only be entered by boat.
On 28 January 1408, a flood also damaged the books and jewellery in the crypt, part of the charters, the books, and the ornaments of the collegiate church kept in the treasury. To avoid similar disasters, the floor of the new bookshop was raised and one entered from there by a few steps.
Heavy flooding occurred in 1464. The snow had fallen in abundance for several days before the feast of St.
Caprasius of Agen
Saint Caprasius of Agen (french: Saint Caprais) is venerated as a Christian martyr and saint of the fourth century. Relics associated with him were discovered at Agen in the fifth century.Alban Butler, David Hugh Farmer, Paul Burns, ''Butler' ...
, the rains which followed brought such a flood that on the day after the feast of St. Élisabeth, the swollen floods of the Meuse threatened to invade the collegiate church. The canons only had time to block the door with a kind of dam and had to buy a boat to go to the
matins
Matins (also Mattins) is a canonical hour in Christian liturgy, originally sung during the darkness of early morning.
The earliest use of the term was in reference to the canonical hour, also called the vigil, which was originally celebrated by ...
. They used the same means to attend the hours until 23 November, when they were able to go to the services on dry foot.
On 7 February 1571 as a result of a flood, the water rose to a height of 6.40 meters. The memory of this overflow is preserved by the following
chronogram
A chronogram is a sentence or inscription in which specific letters, interpreted as numerals (such as Roman numerals), stand for a particular date when rearranged. The word, meaning "time writing", derives from the Greek words ''chronos'' (χ� ...
engraved on the right pillar of the collegial background next to the jubé. The line indicating the height of the water is 0.84 cm from the current level of the paving stone.
*
On 15 January 1643, the flood that swept away the Pont des Arches covered the Latin Quarter of Liège and caused immense damage. The waters of the river Meuse rose in St. Paul's church 1.35 meters above the current paving stone. The memory of this event is remembered by the following chronogram engraved on the pillar that supports the tower to the right of the jubé.
*
A metal plaque dating from 1926 is located to the right of the cathedral entrance indicating the height of the water at the time of the last flood. Since the installation of the mud and water drain from downstream and upstream sewers, no further flooding has occurred.
;Fires
During the night of 6 April 1456, a fire broke out in the room where the rector of the schools was sleeping. Fortunately, it had no consequences.
;Earthquake
On 24 December 1755 around 4 o'clock after dinner, tremors were felt in Liège which repeated themselves a quarter of an hour before midnight then a few minutes later. The memory of the disaster that had occurred in Lisbon on 1 November of the previous year threw fear into the city. Then 60 inhabitants of the different parishes of the city made processions and went to Saint-Lambert, Saint-Pierre, Saint-Paul, Saint-Jean évangéliste and Saint-Remy. These churches remained open for 9 consecutive days. The 1983 earthquake had no consequences.
New acquisitions
In 1460, the chapter acquired certain buildings of the Abbey of Val-Saint-Lambert located in the villages of
Ramet
A clonal colony or genet is a group of genetically identical individuals, such as plants, fungi, or bacteria, that have grown in a given location, all originating vegetatively, not sexually, from a single ancestor. In plants, an individual in s ...
and Yvoz for 100
almud
The almud is a unit of measurement of volume used in France, Spain and in parts of the Americas that were colonized by each country. The word comes from the Arabic al-múdd." The exact value of the ''almud'' was different from region to region, and ...
s of spelt to be supplied annually. In addition, he undertook to pay an annuity to the church of St. Servais of
Maastricht
Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...
in payment of a relief fee.
Completion of works and paintings by Lambert Lombart
;Lambert Lombart
In 1528 and 1529 several works were executed, among others paintings which according to a manuscript are the work of Lambert Lombard and his pupils.
;Glass canopy
In 1530, by the munificence of Léon of Oultres, the collegiate church was enriched by the large
canopy
Canopy may refer to:
Plants
* Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests)
* Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes
Religion and ceremonies
* Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...
illuminating the left arm of the transept at midday. This window escaped the ravages of the French Revolution. On the contrary, the one facing it was completely destroyed.
;Windows
In 1557 and 1558, major works were still carried out on the church. The first date can be found on the central window on the south side and on the vault in front of the large nave; it probably indicates the time of construction or repair of the windows on this side. The second is on the corresponding window on the north side.The first window on the right side of the choir is a gift of Gregory Sylvius who had it placed in 1557, the second one dating from the same period is due to Gilles Blocquerie, canon of Saint-Paul. The central window is a present of the dean Jean Stouten in 1557. It was placed after his death. In 1559 Corneille Van Erp, canon of St. Paul and Bois-le-Duc had the fourth window on the left side of the choir placed at his expense. In the same year, Remacle de Lymborch, canon and professor of medicine gave the fifth window on the same side.
;Western Portal
The construction of the west portal under the tower is attributed to dean Thomas Stouten (1556 to 1564): the
pediment
Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape.
Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds.
A pedimen ...
of this portal is decorated with the arms of coat of Corneille de Berg who succeeded Erard de La Marck who died on 16 February 1538 and Robert who reigned from 1557 to 1564.
Printing workshop
The name of dean Jean Stouten (1566-1604) is connected with the introduction of printing in Liége. The first book published in the City was the ''Breviarium in usum venerabilis ecclesiœ collegiatœ Sti Pauli Leodiensis'' issued from the press of Gautier Morberius, the first printer in Liège.This work includes two volumes in 8° the first one finished on 1 November 1560 and the second one on 4 July 1561. The great rarity of this book is explained by the small number of copies that were printed; in fact this Breviary was used exclusively for the canons of Saint Paul. The only known copy is in the ; it is currently on display at the
Curtius Museum
The Curtius Museum (''Musée Curtius'') is a museum of archaeology and decorative arts, located on the bank of the river Meuse in Liège, Belgium, classified as a ''Major Heritage'' of Wallonia.
It was built sometime between 1597 and 1610 as a ...
The present church started in 1289, rebuilt in 1528 was completed in 1557.
The Christ of Del Cour
After the destruction of the dardanelle erected on the Pont des Arches in 1790, the Christ who had been above this tower since 1663, a work of
Jean Del Cour
Jean Delcour, or Del Cour (1627, in Hamoir – 1707), was a Baroque sculptor from Liège, in present-day Belgium.
Biography
At the age of 15 he became a sculpture pupil in Liege of the monk Arnold Henrard. After this training he traveled to Rom ...
, was transferred there. Since 1861, it has surmounted the interior entrance door.
French Revolution
After the
Battle of Jemappes
The Battle of Jemappes (6 November 1792) took place near the town of Jemappes in Hainaut, Austrian Netherlands (now Belgium), near Mons during the War of the First Coalition, part of the French Revolutionary Wars. One of the first major off ...
, the French pursued the imperial army and entered into Liège. The collegiate church of St. Paul was chosen to serve as a stable and slaughterhouse and was therefore almost completely destroyed. The chapter of St. Paul suffered the fate reserved for other religious buildings by revolutionary vandals: after looting the building, removing all metals, destroying the main glass windows whose lead was used to melt bullets, selling at auction the furniture, they installed a butcher's shop for their use; the cloisters were changed into stables.
The calm restored by the triumph of the Imperials was not long-lasting. On 17 July 1794, the Convention's armies returned to Liège and the Principality was annexed to France. The following 10 December, the Executive Board decreed a 600 million loan to cover the costs of the war.The chapter of St. Paul was taxed on 17 May 1796 at an additional cost of 3000 pounds. Not possessing this sum in these difficult times, it had an announcement published in the ''Gazette de Liège'' on the following 4, 6 and 8 July that it was seeking to borrow a capital of 3000 pounds with interest to supply this tax, but this attempt had no result.
On 30 December 1803, the Bishop wrote to the minister of worship Portalis asking that the government pay the fees and allowances due for the brought back from Hamburg. These six boxes contained the relics of the Saints and the debris from the treasure of Saint Lambert's Cathedral returned to the new Cathedral. One month later, on 30 January 1804, Portalis replied that the government had decided that the amount of the objects delivered to Hamburg for the service of the navy would be reimbursed but that this service being extremely overburdened by the present circumstances, it could not foresee the moment when it would be liable to pay the effects which were assigned to it. The treasure of Saint-Lambert seized in Hamburg by the commissioners of the Republic who accompanied the armies was largely sold on the orders of the 1st Consul by Commissioner Lachevadière. The sale yielded nearly a million and a half that was applied to the needs of the navy.
Compensation
After the signature of the
Concordat of 1801
The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII, signed on 15 July 1801 in Paris. It remained in effect until 1905, except in Alsace-Lorraine, where it remains in force. It sought national reconciliation b ...
and the restoration of the cult, Napoleon had the Cathedral granted a recognition of one million to be paid from the treasury of the State, but this debt was not discharged during the imperial period.During the fall of Napoleon, the Chapter addressed the liquidation commission established in Paris by the Sovereign Allies to know the debts of the Empire in order to obtain payment. Its request was turned down. Later on, after the reunion of Belgium in Holland, new approaches were made to the Dutch government but without success. It clearly refused to acknowledge and pay this debt. The spoliation was thus total.
Restitution
In 1805, in accordance with its promises, the imperial government issued a decree on 6 March of the following year, according to which the factories of the churches were granted their property, which was neither sold nor alienated. This decree allowed the new Cathedral to regain possession of part of the property and annuities it possessed before the Revolution, and on 16 September the Cathedral was given back possession of part of the property and annuities derived from the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Lambert de Liège.
Translation of Saint-Lambert
In execution of bishop Zaepffel's mandate, the translation ceremony of the bust of Saint Lambert and relics of the Saints took place on 1 January 1804. It was announced the day before by the sound of the bells of all the churches. They had been stored at Saint-Nicolas Au-Trez.
Erection of the bell tower
The collegiate church used to have only a small bell tower, the drawing of which can still be seen in '; the chapter wished to construct a spire, seeking to reproduce the shape of that of the one of Cathédrale Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Lambert de Liège. The Cathedral Chapter met on 28 June 1810, to deliberate on the erection of a tower.By means of a sum of thirty to forty thousand
florin
The Florentine florin was a gold coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains (3.499 grams, 0.113 troy ounce) of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a purcha ...
s Brabant-Liège of which they were depositories and had been intended for this expenditure for a long time. The following day, 29 June, the Chapter decided to build the tower. to acquire for this purpose the spire of the tower of
Sint-Truiden Abbey
Sint-Truiden Abbey or St Trudo's Abbey ( nl, Abdij van Sint-Truiden, Abdij van Sint-Trudo; french: Abbaye de Saint-Trond) is a former Benedictine monastery in Sint-Truiden (named after Saint Trudo) in the Limburg (Belgium), province of Limburg Be ...
. But it was not until 1812, following a request from Napoleon, that the tower, with its ogival windows, was raised one floor and the bell tower was installed. The side facing west is pierced by a huge window with glowing mullions. The part that rises above it and contains the bells is built in sandstone from the square towers of the old cathedral of Saint-Lambert. On each of its three free sides there are two large windows with sound-absorbing panels. Its construction was completed at the end of October 1811, it replaced the original structure of the original tower, which until that time only rose to the height of the roof and was demolished in May of the same year. The framed arrowhead that ends the tower rises to a height of 90 meters. It was started immediately after the completion of the previous part and finished towards the end of August 1812. The cross which overlooks it was placed the following 1 October.
The chimes
The chime of the former Saint Lambert's Cathedral which the imperial government had donated to the new cathedral in 1804 was placed here.On 2 March 1804, Prefect Demousseaux took a decree by which he made available to the administrators of the Saint-Paul factory the
carillon
A carillon ( , ) is a pitched percussion instrument that is played with a keyboard and consists of at least 23 cast-bronze bells. The bells are hung in fixed suspension and tuned in chromatic order so that they can be sounded harmoniou ...
, clock, drums and scrap metal of Saint-Lambert for the service of the new Cathedral.
Restoration
In the 1850s, the Cathedral underwent a major renovation by architect .
Description
The three naves
The collegiate church of St. Paul has the shape of a
Latin Cross
A Latin cross or ''crux immissa'' is a type of cross in which the vertical beam sticks above the crossbeam, with the three upper arms either equally long or with the vertical topmost arm shorter than the two horizontal arms, and always with a mu ...
84.50 meters long by 33.60 meters wide and 24 meters high under the keystone. The transept has a length of 33 meters on 11.60 meters wide. The vessel is divided into 3 naves, 2 low sides and a choir without collaterals. His architect is unknown.
The
apse
In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...
built in the fourteenth century in radiant style is of pentagonal form. 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
transept
A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...
, the large
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
and side naves are from the 13th century and have all the characteristics of the primary gothique. The secondary gothic is found in the transept windows, the high windows of the ship, the lateral chapels and the tower. The upper gallery, overcrowded with hooked pinnacles, is modern, like the
ogival
An ogive ( ) is the roundly tapered end of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional object. Ogive curves and surfaces are used in engineering, architecture and woodworking.
Etymology
The earliest use of the word ''ogive'' is found in the 13th c ...
windowed floor and the spire of the bell tower, next to four bells. The
lintel
A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...
of the portal bears an inscription that once appeared on the
seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...
of the city: ''Sancta Legia Ecclesiae Romanae Filia'' (Holy Liège, daughter of the Roman Church). All the red marbles in St. Paul's originate from the
Rochefort Abbey
The Trappist Abbey of Rochefort or Abbey of Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy, which belongs to the Cistercians of Strict Observance, is located in Rochefort in the province of Namur (Wallonia, Belgium). The abbey is famous for its spiritual life and ...
, the black marbles of
Dinant
Dinant () is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Namur Province, province of Namur, Belgium. On the shores of river Meuse, in the Ardennes, it lies south-east of Brussels, south ...
and the whites of Italy coming from
Carrara
Carrara ( , ; , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, in central Italy, of the province of Massa and Carrara, and notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some Boxing the compass, west-northwest o ...
.
The cloister
The former chapitral cloister of the collegiate church consists of three galleries freely communicating with each other and opening into the church through two doors, one at the bottom of the building and the other adjacent to the left arm of the transept. Before the construction of the chapels on the lower sides, to add to the solidity of the building and for its embellishment, the cloister was square, and one can see the remains in the attics above these chapels. These galleries built in different periods date from the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The first part of the cloister was laid on 6 June 1445 by Daniel de Blochem. They form the three sides of a long square oriented east to the south and west, the fourth gallery is replaced by the lower left side of the collegiate church. They circumscribe a courtyard and differ from each other. The west gallery is older than the others and its ornamentation is also more meticulous, 17.50 by 4.75 metres long, it communicates with the collegiate church through a door surmounted by a great Christ in ancient wood.
Entrance to the cloister
Next to the door that leads into the church at the north end of this gallery, a second door opens onto a beautiful gate at the foot of the tower overlooking St. Paul's Square. This charming porch is remarkable for its deep ornamental arches and its curious decoration, partly ogival. It is dated from the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
. This gate, closed by an iron gate and decorated with a central stone medallion framing a high relief depicting the
Conversion of Paul the Apostle
The conversion of Paul the Apostle (also the Pauline conversion, Damascene conversion, Damascus Christophany and the "road to Damascus" event) was, according to the New Testament, an event in the life of Saul/ Paul the Apostle that led him to c ...
placed between two low reliefs and the arabesques of the lower panels frame two small low reliefs, one on the right side representing the Nativity, the other on the left showing the Resurrection of the Savior. A series of twelve bas-reliefs represent eight framed heads and fantastic ornaments. Seven niches remained devoid of their statues. The overhanging pinion bears the arms of coat of
Corneille of Berghes
Corneille of Berghes or de Glymes-Berghes (1490?–1560?) was Prince-bishop of Liège between 1538 and 1544.
Corneille of Berghes was the youngest son of Cornelis of Glymes, Admiral of the Netherlands and Maria Margaretha van Zevenbergen. First ...
,
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
from 1538 to 1544.
Chapter Hall
One enters by the cloisters on the east side in the chapel of the chapter hall. The exterior door comes from the church of the former located in the district of . It closed the entrance of the choir where it was placed between two altars. This richly carved oak door has two panels, the side panel representing the Liège perron and the top panels sculpted to date and elegantly crafted presenting the two LG letters.
Index of artists
A chronological list of artists who worked at St. Paul's Church or whose work is in the church.
Erasmus Quellinus II
Erasmus Quellinus the Younger or Erasmus Quellinus II (1607–1678) was a Flemish painter, engraver, draughtsman and tapestry designer who worked in various genres including history, portrait, allegorical, battle and animal paintings. He was a ...
(1607–1678)
** ''Les quatre Évangélistes''
* Jean-Guillaume Carlier (1638–1675)
** ''Le Baptême de Jésus-Christ''
*
Gérard de Lairesse
Gerard or Gérard (de) Lairesse (11 September 1641 – June 1711) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and art theorist. His broad range of skills included music, poetry, and theatre. De Lairesse was influenced by the Perugian Cesare Ripa and Fr ...
(1641–1711)
** 1 painting
* Jean-Joseph Ansiaux (1764–1840)
** three paintings, one of which won a gold medal
* (1852–1923)
* Jean Hubert Tahan
** ''Le Massacre de Saint-Lambert''
*
Bertholet Flémal
Bertholet Flemalle, Flemal, or Flamael (1614–1675) was a Liège Baroque painter.
Biography
The son of a glass painter, he was instructed in his art by Henri Trippet and Gerard Douffet successively. He visited Rome in 1638, and was invited ...
** Three paintings
* (1821–1906)
* (1810–1884)
*
Otto van Veen
Otto van Veen, also known by his Latinized name Otto Venius or Octavius Vaenius (1556 – 6 May 1629), was a painter, draughtsman, and humanist active primarily in Antwerp and Brussels in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is known for r ...
** ''Descente de croix''
*
Gérard Douffet
Gerard Douffet (6 August 1594 – 1660/1661), also known as Doufeet or Duffeit, was a Walloon painter. He was born at Liège in 1594, and studied for some time at Antwerp, Belgium in the school of Rubens, and afterwards in Italy. He composed a ...
** 1 painting.
Sculptures
*
Jean Del Cour
Jean Delcour, or Del Cour (1627, in Hamoir – 1707), was a Baroque sculptor from Liège, in present-day Belgium.
Biography
At the age of 15 he became a sculpture pupil in Liege of the monk Arnold Henrard. After this training he traveled to Rom ...
(1631-1707)
**''Le Christ remettant les clés à Saint Pierre'', 1680 (bas-relief from the old jubé of the Collégiale Saint-Pierre de Liège dieux de saint Pierre et de saint Paul'', 1680
** ''Statue de Jean-Baptiste'', 1682
** ''Christ gisant'', white marble, 1696
** ''Christ en bronze'' above the main gate, northbound. This Christ was once on the Dardanelles of the Pont des Arches, on this fort built by Emperor Maximilien, ''to restrain the inhabitants of the noisy neighborhood of Outre-Meuse!..''
*
Guillaume Geefs
Guillaume Geefs (10 September 1805 – 19 January 1883), also Willem Geefs, was a Belgian sculptor. Although known primarily for his monumental works and public portraits of statesmen and nationalist figures, he also explored mythological su ...
(1805-1883)
** ''
Le génie du mal
''Le génie du mal'' (or ''The Genius (mythology), Genius of Evil'' or ''The Spirit of Evil''), known informally in English as ''Lucifer'' or ''The Lucifer of Liège'' is a religious sculpture executed in white marble and installed in 1848 by the ...
'' sculpture represents a man of classic beauty in his physical perfection, chained, seated, and almost naked, a sheet covering his thighs. In fact, the statue of Geefs replaces a sculpture previously created by his younger brother
Joseph Geefs
Joseph Germain Geefs or Jozef Germain Geefs (23 December 1808 – 9 October 1885) was a Belgian sculptor. Also his six brothers Guillaume Geefs, Aloys Geefs, Jean Geefs, Théodore Geefs, Charles Geefs and Alexandre Geefs were sculptors.
...
, removed from the cathedral because of its distracting appeal and unhealthy beauty. The statue of Joseph Geefs is part of the collections of the
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (french: Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, nl, Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van België) are a group of art museums in Brussels, Belgium. They include six museums: the Oldmasters Muse ...
Max Ingrand
Maurice Max-Ingrand, better known as Max Ingrand (20 December 1908, Bressuire – 25 August 1969, Paris) was a French artist and decorator, known for his work in studio glass and his stained glass windows.
He was educated at the ''École natio ...
(1908–1969), master glassmaker
Works transferred during the Revolution
After the collegiate church became the new cathedral of Liège, it provided shelter and security to a whole series of works of art originating from other churches in Liège that had been demolished or closed in the revolutionary turmoil.
* from the église Saint-Jean-Baptiste:
** the ''Sedes sapientiae'' from the 13th century exposed to the front of the cathedral choir.
** the silver statuettes of goldsmith Henri de Flémal (1656, 1663, 1678) ;
* from the Church of the Wallon Jesuits :
** ''La Descente de croix'' by Gérard Seghers (1589-1651)
* from the église des Carmes déchaussés in :
** ''Le Baptême du Christ'' by Jean-Guillaume Carlier (Liège, 1638-1675) ;
* from the église des Sépulcrines, called "des Bons-Enfants" (good children):
** Le ''Christ gisant'' (1696) by
Jean Del Cour
Jean Delcour, or Del Cour (1627, in Hamoir – 1707), was a Baroque sculptor from Liège, in present-day Belgium.
Biography
At the age of 15 he became a sculpture pupil in Liege of the monk Arnold Henrard. After this training he traveled to Rom ...
Jean Del Cour
Jean Delcour, or Del Cour (1627, in Hamoir – 1707), was a Baroque sculptor from Liège, in present-day Belgium.
Biography
At the age of 15 he became a sculpture pupil in Liege of the monk Arnold Henrard. After this training he traveled to Rom ...
of the life of St. Peter
* from the église Notre-Dame aux Fonts:
** ''Saint Charles Borromée soignant les pestiférés'' attributed to Bertholet Flémal (Liège, 1614–1675).
* from the high altar of the ancient Cathédrale Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Lambert de Liège:
** ''L'Assomption'' by Gérard de Lairesse (1687), today transplanted in the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament of St. Paul.
Cathedral Treasure
The Cathedral has numerous works of art presented in eight thematic exhibition rooms with a journey through the art and history of the former
Prince-Bishopric of Liège
The Prince-Bishopric of Liège or Principality of Liège was an Hochstift, ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that was situated for the most part in present-day Belgium. It was an Imperial State, Imperial Estate, so the List of ...
.
Core Sources
Cartulary of Saint-Paul
* 1086: Foundation of the St. John the Baptist Altar in St. Paul's Church and legacy to the poor.
* Circa 1100: Charter of fraternity between the Canons of St. Paul and the Abbey of St. James, right of fishing granted to the monks of this abbey.
* 1169: Charter relating to the Tithes of Lixhe
* 1233: Agreement between St Lambert's Cathedral and the collegiate churches of Liège for their mutual defence
* l238: ''Pro piscariâ'' by Ramet
* 1242: Dispute between the Abbey of Santiago and Humbert de Saive Chevalier, ended by the arbitration of Othon Doyen de Paul
* 1249: Founding of the altar of Notre-Dame de Saint-André and Saint-Martin
* 1251: Convention between the Abbey of Val Dieu and the Chapter of Saint Paul concerning the tithe of Froidmont
* 1254: Letter from Cardinal Peter Légal of the Holy See granting indulgences to those who will contribute to the completion of the Church
* 1289: Charter of Consecration of the Church (11 April)
* 1293: Charter relative to the claustrale house given by the Abbey of Aulne
* 1300: Indulgences granted by Pope Nicholas
* 1381: ''Carta quod canonicus non possit habere bona Ecclesiae ad trecensum''
* 1444: ''Erectio festi Exaltationis sanctae Crucis''
* Daniel de Blochem canon of Saint-Paul: XIth manuscript ''Liber de Servis et aqua sancti Pauli''.
* 1483: ''Erectio confraternitatis beatae Mariae Virginis in Ecclesia Collegiata S. Pauli Leodiensis facta anno ''
* 1494: ''Fundatio primae Missae et S. Danielis in Ecclesia S. Pauli facta per Dominum Arnoldum Pickar ''
* 1515: de Cletis Foundation
Printed sources
* 1560: Jean Stouten, dean: Ancien bréviaire de la collégiale de Saint-Paul. ''Premier livre imprimé de et à Liège'' by Gautier Morberius, currently exhibited at the
Curtius Museum
The Curtius Museum (''Musée Curtius'') is a museum of archaeology and decorative arts, located on the bank of the river Meuse in Liège, Belgium, classified as a ''Major Heritage'' of Wallonia.
It was built sometime between 1597 and 1610 as a ...
.
* 1621: List of Altars erected in the former collegiate church of Saint-Paul.Registre des autels fondés à l'église Saint Paul (printed in 1779) Typis Zuzzarini, during a trial supported by the chaplains of the Collegiate Church. Published in part by Olivier-Joseph Thimister, in ''Essai historique sur l'église de Saint Paul'', Libraire Spee Zelis, Liège, 1867
* 1622: Alber de Limborsch: ''Fundatio S. Pauli'', printed in 4° at Ouwerx (400 hexameters)
* O.J. Thimister, ''Essai historique sur l'église de Saint Paul'', Spee Zelis, Liège, 1867