Cathedral Saint-Saver of Aix-en-Provence

The cathedral Saint-Saver is located on the place of the University at Aix-en-Provence. This monument, built on the site of the ancient forum and, according to the legend, on the foundations of an old temple dedicated to the god Apollo, gathers a multitude of architectural styles, because of the many rehandlings which it undergoes with the wire of the centuries. Its dimensions 70 meters length are on 46 meters of width. Its rise is of 20 meters under the keystone.

Origins

Legends around the foundation

The cathedral is located on the way of old the way Aurélienne. A fragment of Roman wall as well as the columns of the Baptistère seem to have forged the legend according to which Saint-Saver was set up on the site of an ancient temple dedicated to Apollon. The historian Pitton (1654) affirmed that this temple was dedicated to a solar divinity, being based on the discovery of a statue to the thigh discovered to justify his dires.

According to the Christian tradition, holy Maximin, come from Palestine with Marie-madeleine on a boat belonging to Lazare, built on the site a modest vault dedicated to the Sauveur saint.

Destruction of the old vault

During the invasions sarrasines of the 8th century and 9th century, Saint-Saver was destroyed.

Structure of the cathedral

If the baptistry seems older, the construction of the Romance part of the cathedral goes back to the end of the 11th century and is due to the archbishop Rostang de Fos and to the provost of the Benoît chapter. One finds on the southernmost nave known as of the Corpus Domini a dedication gone back to 1103. A wall seems however older and obviously goes up with the Early middle ages.

Gate

Only the seven higher figures of the gate are of origin. The others are copies the 19th century.

Carved doors

The cathedral Saint-Saver has doors of drowning carved on a place order the October 15th 1505. They were cut by the brothers Raymond and Jean Bolhit, of Aix, like by the sculptor Toulon-native Jean Guiramand. Each casement is finely framed by garlands of flowers which surround of the scenes, of religious order for the majority. One sees there in particular representations of the prophets Isaïe, Jérémie, Ézéchiel, as well as king David. Each one is surmounted of a platform in large projection.

Baptistry

The octagonal baptistry, crowned in 1579 by the Canon Jean de Léone, has a cupola decorated with Gypserie S surmounting by the employed again columns of Roman epoch. The tank would be of time mérovingienne.

One finds under the flagstones of the baptistry caveaux canons and archbishops.

Cloister

See also: Cloister Saint-Saver (Aix-en-Provence)

Exposed works

the Burning bush , Triptych of Nicolas Wheat, artist inhabitant of Avignon, showpiece of the monument realized at the 15th century. Work comes from the convent of the Large-Carmelite friars, destroyed under the Revolution. The central panel represents the Virgin and the Child on the burning bush. In the foreground, on the line, Brace, keeping its herd, exposes itself with the sight of this appearance. The two other parts of the triptych represent the silent partners of work, king Rene and the Jeanne queen, in a pious attitude.

, coming from the old vault of the Carmelite nuns.

Seventeen Tapestry S due to the Flemish painter Quentin Metsys: nativity, Presentation, Annunciation, Visitation, Advertisement with the shepherds, Nativity of Our-Lord, Baptism of Jesus, the Sermon on the mountain, the Resurrection of Lazare, Scourging, the Crowning of spines, Crucifixion, Deposition, the Visit with the limbs, Resurrection, the Rise and Pentecost.

The furnace bridge of Aygosi

This stone furnace bridge, originally installed in the church of the Carmelite friars, was installed with Saint-Saver in 1823. On the left an inscription is read as follows: “Anne, the glorious mother of the Virgin Mary is venerated in the present vault. Noble man Urbain Aygosi exposed here the roof of the Amour. In the present year of the Lord 1470, the Chapelle is completed by the grace of God, the January 28th. ”

This monument includes/understands:

a furnace bridge surmounted of a forgery gate vault, with, with its ends, the weapons of Urbain Aygosi.
a gate vault decorated with a Christ with the inscription: “See, mortal, it is for you that such a victim is delivered”.
a Retable of stone with six figures: in the center, Holy Anne, in front of it the Virgin , in its arms the child Jesus. On the left holy Maurice in an armor of the 15th century, on the right Holy Marguerite outgoing of the dragon. Lastly, Christ in cross dominates this retable. On both sides of the furnace bridge, were statues of the Virgin and holy Jean, now exposed to the Musée Granet.

The sculptor of this furnace bridge, Audinet Stéphani, was originating in the diocese of Cambrai and worked in Aix and in his area between 1446 and 1476.

Disappeared works

a Stained glass of Jean Joye, destroyed under the Revolution.

Anecdotes

In 1318, the archbishop Robert de Mauvoisin is forced to resign its functions, marked “to maintain the concubines publicly; to sell the benefit and the sacraments; to adulterate interdicts which it launched against the churches on light reasons, and to scorn the censures which it had incurred to have struck the archdeacon of its chapter and some canons. One also reproached him for having crossed the town of Aix the Thursday-Saint with the sound of the instruments and for having preceded dancers; to like hunting passionately; to carry out with him, when it made the visit of its diocese, the hunters, the dogs, of the birds, with the great damage of the inhabitants of which it devastated the campaigns; to give the sacrament of confirmation evening or the evening to the light out of the church, when it returned from the continuation of the wild beasts. Finally one showed it to have pressed the people in his pastoral visits and vomit of the blasphemies against God, the Virgin and the saints. The pope named police chiefs to examine these objections. The prelate decreased the horror of some by interpretations which it gave, and denied the others. But overpowered by the depositions of the witnesses, he voluntarily prevented his judgment while abdicating in the month of August 1318. ”
the December 24th 1566, the archbishop Jean de Saint-Chamond goes up in pulpit to Saint-Saver, adorned his pontifical clothes, déclame against the Pope and the Catholic church, throws by ground its miter and its stick, embraces the Calvinism and is withdrawn in Geneva where it Marie.

See too

List of the archbishops of Aix-en-Provence

External bonds

Official site of the cathedral Saint-Saver

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