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Saint Peter's church (Saint-Pierre-le-Bas) in
The apse and the decor of the nave wall arches were likely built at the end of the 5th century and, as such are among the oldest remains. During the Carolingian era changes were made concerning the windows in the upper part of the nave.
The first important transformations took place at the end of the 11th century and the 12th century: the nave was divided into three parts by large arches. The bell tower porch is added to the West; the Notre-Dame Chapel, in the form of a Greek cross, is barrel-vaulted and outfitted with a dome; the South Portal is decorated with sculptures.
The remains of the 12th century murals can still be seen. In the 15th century several chapels were furnished but have disappeared since then. Few changes took place between the 15th century and 1780, when the whole of the building was covered in neo-classical stucco décor. The stucco was removed during the restoration in the 1860s.
Many fragments of the stone fence between the sanctuary for the clergy and the nave have been reused during the building of the bell tower in the 12th century, high up the front of the ancient façade. A monolithic altar from the 10th or 11th century is preserved in one of the museums of Vienne.
Église Saint-Pierre - Musée archéologique
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vienne, Saint Peter, Saint Peter abbey Carolingian architecture Basilica churches in France Churches in Isère
Vienne
Vienne (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Viéne'') is a landlocked department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It takes its name from the river Vienne. It had a population of 438,435 in 2019.Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes () was an administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it is part of the new region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the river Rhône an ...
region. The church was added to the 1862 version of the list of France's Monuments historiques
''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...
, created in 1819.
History
Saint Peter's church was built at the end of the fifth century within the walls of the (Gallo-) Roman city, situated at a cemetery which replaced a former residential area. It was dedicated to saint Peter and Paul and used as a funerary Basilica. The church housed, over time, the remains of most of the bishops of Vienne, starting withMamertus
Mamertus (died c. 475) was the bishop of Vienne in Gaul, venerated as a saint. His primary contribution to ecclesiastical practice was the introduction of litanies prior to Ascension Day as an intercession against earthquakes and other disasters, ...
(died c. 475). Most of the early bishops of the city buried here are considered saints.
Abbaye de Saint Pierre
In the 6th century a community of monks settled there, of which Leonianus was the first abbot. During the Middle Ages this abbey was the most influential of all of Vienne's monasteries. The church houses an important variety of relics, one of which is the water dish of the last supper. During the late Middle Ages and the early modern period the competition of the mendicant orders and then theWars of Religion
A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war ( la, sanctum bellum), is a war which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent to wh ...
permanently weakened the abbey. The monks became canons and between 1780 and 1791 the former abbey was in union with the Abbey of Saint-Chef.
Initially transformed into a museum in 1809, building was restored during the 1860s. In 1872 the building was converted into a lapidary museum. The presentation of the collections has remained almost unchanged to the present day.
Appearance
The apse and the decor of the nave wall arches were likely built at the end of the 5th century and, as such are among the oldest remains. During the Carolingian era changes were made concerning the windows in the upper part of the nave.
The first important transformations took place at the end of the 11th century and the 12th century: the nave was divided into three parts by large arches. The bell tower porch is added to the West; the Notre-Dame Chapel, in the form of a Greek cross, is barrel-vaulted and outfitted with a dome; the South Portal is decorated with sculptures.
The remains of the 12th century murals can still be seen. In the 15th century several chapels were furnished but have disappeared since then. Few changes took place between the 15th century and 1780, when the whole of the building was covered in neo-classical stucco décor. The stucco was removed during the restoration in the 1860s.
Many fragments of the stone fence between the sanctuary for the clergy and the nave have been reused during the building of the bell tower in the 12th century, high up the front of the ancient façade. A monolithic altar from the 10th or 11th century is preserved in one of the museums of Vienne.
Relics
Among the many preserved relics are those of the following saints: * SaintAdo of Vienne
Ado of Vienne ( la, Ado Viennensis, french: Adon de Vienne; died 16 December 874) was archbishop of Vienne in Lotharingia from 850 until his death and is venerated as a saint. He belonged to a prominent Frankish family and spent much of his early ...
* Saint Avitus of Vienne
Alcimus Ecdicius Avitus (c. 450 – February 5, 517/518 or 519) was a Latin poet and bishop of Vienne in Gaul. His fame rests in part on his poetry, but also on the role he played as secretary for the Burgundian kings.
Avitus was born of a promi ...
* Saint Crescens
Crescens was an individual who appears in the New Testament. He is traditionally considered one of the 72 disciples sent out by Jesus in Luke 10. He was a missionary in Galatia and became a companion of Paul. The name 'Crescens' is the presen ...
* Saint Desiderius
Desiderius, also known as Daufer or Dauferius (born – died ), was king of the Lombards in northern Italy, ruling from 756 to 774. The Frankish king of renown, Charlemagne, married Desiderius's daughter and subsequently conquered his realm. Des ...
* Saint Mamertus
Mamertus (died c. 475) was the bishop of Vienne in Gaul, venerated as a saint. His primary contribution to ecclesiastical practice was the introduction of litanies prior to Ascension Day as an intercession against earthquakes and other disasters, ...
References
External links
*Église Saint-Pierre - Musée archéologique
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vienne, Saint Peter, Saint Peter abbey Carolingian architecture Basilica churches in France Churches in Isère