Modified on September 24, 2024
Reading time: 4 minutes
There are a thousand reasons to push open the original wooden door that, from the sunny Place Saint-Julien, leads into the nave of the Basilica of Brioude, the largest Romanesque church in Auvergne. Here are three of them, and not the least!
Basilica of Saint-Julien de Brioude
- 1.635 years of history. Going back through the centuries, the first page was written in 389 when the small oratory dedicated to Saint Julien, a Roman soldier converted to Christianity, was transformed into a church. Destroyed for the first time in part in the 924th century, then again in 927 and XNUMX, it rose from its ashes each time. From the XNUMXth century, the small building, a major place of pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Julien, pushed its walls to become the largest Romanesque-style church in Auvergne. Whether outside or inside, it attracts the eye: the color of its stones, its bell towers, its antique-style capitals, its defense system, its polychrome stone decorations, its wall frescoes, its pebble paving, its five chapels, its furniture, its contemporary stained glass windows, etc.
Anecdote
"Originally, the guard of the saint's tomb was ensured by 80 knights forming a warrior militia which later became a body of canons. Then, the church was served by 54 clerics who received from Louis the Pious the rule of the regular canons. These canons formed a chapter which was lord of the city and the county, with the right of high, medium and low justice. These prerogatives were maintained until the Revolution."
Contemporary stained glass windows by Kim en Joong
Contemporary stained glass windows. Between the nave and the narthex, 37 stained glass windows, a major work of contemporary art, have been bringing a breath of modernity to the old Lady since 2008. Created by Father Kim En Joong and produced by the Ateliers Loire in Chartres, "each bay, according to the artist, bears its own sign, linking the history of the building, respect for the Scriptures, and respect for the tradition of the Church to faith." For example, "the five bays of the west façade of the basilica (main entrance) immediately invite us to enter the heart of the Christian Mystery: the Triune Love revealed by the Incarnation and the Transfiguration." Through his work, Father Kim En Joong "invites the pilgrim or visitor to inscribe their walk in the nuptial dialogue of color, light and in the vast depth of interior time."
Chapel of St. Michael
The Saint-Michel chapel. To access it, by taking the spiral staircase, you must follow one of the guided tours offered by the Brioude Sud Auvergne Tourist, Trade and Crafts Office. On the "first floor" of the Saint-Julien basilica, the chapel dedicated to Saint Michael also goes back centuries. It was built at the end of the 12th or during the 13th century by the chapter of Saint-Julien. This chapel was intended solely for the clergy, "who ensured an intermediary mission between heaven and the faithful". The frescoes that cover the walls and ceiling are worth a visit both in terms of the use of colors: "Exceptional lapis blue background surrounding the representation of Christ, great variety of colors of the angels' clothes ranging from soft green to deep reds, very frank colors in contrast to the "impure" colors of the figures of hell, essentially brown, greenish, gray".
To find out more. The Saint-Julien Basilica can be discovered at will guided tours what the Brioude Sud Auvergne Tourist, Trade and Crafts Office offers
🙏🏻 @JL Chabaud 🙏🏻 @J.Mazet🙏🏻@L.Barruel
On the occasion of Heritage Days, September 21 and 22, the Tourist Office is offering several free guided tours of the Saint-Michel chapel.
