Ennezat

Ennezat is a common French, located in the department of the Puy-de-Dôme and the area of Auvergne. Ennezat belongs to the urban surface of Clermont-Ferrand.

Geography

Ennezat is located in the middle of the Limagne, rich ground of Auvergne, between two rivers, Ambène and Morge. It is a few kilometres from Riom. The name of Limagne comes from Latin lacus magnus , i.e. “big lake”. Indeed, 23 million years ago Limagne was covered by an immense lake. For a long time thereafter, it was thus occupied by the marshes, drained tardily (1930) and which left room to a black cotton soil and fertile.

History

The site was early occupied by the Gallic ones and the Romans, installed on hillocks (various remains discovery, probably preceltic). It was an important crossing point (from its geographical location: Ennezat opens on the Paris basin), a crossroads between several soils (mountains, slopes, cereal plains), like all the towns of Limagne. With the Middle Ages, the area is not very sure but Ennezat did not know a period of disorders and at the 10th century it was a rather important city. In 955, in the call of the bishop of Clermont, the Seigneur S of Auvergne meet to recognize the authority of the Count de Poitiers and Guillaume Head-in Etoupe had that on the country of Auvergne. About 1060 a chapter of twelve canons is been based by the duke Guillaume VI of Aquitaine in the honor of the saints Victor and Couronne. The political situation at that time was complicated: the church, the castle and the borough belonged to the count d' Auvergne. But one second city was created at side and was called “Villeneuve”. It was built on a geometrical level. Space between the two cities (Ennezat-le-Chastel and Ennezat-Villeneuve) remained unoccupied until the 19th century. Even if the city were divided into two boroughs, it had a common parish but not administration. Its economy was good: there existed two fairs since 1341 and two others settled there in 1556. In 1588, Ennezat becomes one of the Thirteen Good Towns of Auvergne. The seigniory of Ennezat was removed with the Revolution in 1789. With the culture of beet developed but the city did not thrive.

Administration

Ennezat belongs to the Communauté of communes of Ennezat which gathers 12 communes.

Demography

Places and monuments

the church of Ennezat is a collegial dedicated to Saint Victor and Sainte Crown.

If one knows the date of foundation of the Chapitre, nothing is certain about that of the church. Indeed, it seems not very probable for the specialists whom it was built at the same time (1060). On the one hand, the first coherent buildings of this type in Auvergne were created only starting from the beginning, even of second half of the 12th century (Notre-Dame of the Port, Orcival, Saint-Austremoine with Issoire…). In addition, the nave does not go in the direction of a construction at the 11th century but rather in second half of the 12th century. The church has a characteristic since it has a double style: Romance and Gothic, Gothic architecture being based on the Romanesque architecture.

The Narthex, the Nave and the Transept are the only preserved Romance parts. They are in Arkose, a calcareous stone which would come from careers in the north of the department. The nave of the church measures approximately 18 meters length, which is rather important (slightly larger than Notre-Dame of the Port with Clermont-Ferrand).

The Gothic parts are the following ones: a chapter house (transformed into Sacristy since the 16th century) and a turret of staircases in pepper plantation, the chorus with its déambulatoire and its five radiating chapels. The chorus is particularly long and imposing and was thus desired by the canons of Ennezat, in order to reinforce their prestige. The Gothic parts are in Andésite, i.e. out of stone of lava (also called stone of Volvic), which gives a black color to this Gothic part, the opponent thus with the clear color of arkose.

The church underwent many modifications at the 19th century, at the time of campaigns carried out by the local architect Mallay for the Historic buildings.

Inside, the decorative program of the Romance part is remarkable by its capitals. One thus sees there the Chapiteau known as “of the usurer”. It is about a dead man raised by two demons. It carries around the neck a purse and between its feet a aulula is carved (kind of ground pot filled of parts). A streamer supported by two scribes carries a Latin inscription: “Cando usuram acepisti opera mea fecisti” which can be translated by “When you practiced wear you made my work”. The other capitals have a antiquisante influence rather: sirens, centaurs, eagles and let us scratch. One can also notice in the transept two triplets with triangular miter taking part in the decoration and typical of Auvergne.

Above transept crossing a ovoid Coupole is resting on Trompe S, with 15 meters height, and supporting a Clocher on two levels.

The Gothic chorus is composed of a Abside, a Déambulatoire and 5 radiant Chapelle S. It is divided into three vessels on barlong plan. One can see 4 projecting keystones representing laic, a character crowned with nails in the hand (Saint-Louis), a bishop and finally the holy archangel Michel. The vaults are dedicated to the Sacré-coeur, Saint Michel, Saint Victor and Sainte Crown, to Saint Blaise and finally to Saint Joseph.

One can see in the Gothic part of the church two remarkably preserved murals. Southern part is a Peinture with the wax representing the last Judgment, in let us tons red and gold. Christ, in the center, divides the elected officials and damnés and sends the first in the celestial city while holy Michel awaits the seconds in Enfer.

The second painting is a fresco divided into two horizontal registers. On the lower register is painted a presentation of the family of the canon Robert de Bassinhac, giver of painting. The higher register is a representation of the " Three died and of the Three Vifs". One can see there two lords with horse as well as a woman, all the three with hunting, dealing with three skeletons. These three lords see in fact clean their dead, it acts of a warning.

Personalities related to the commune

See too

Common of the Puy-de-Dôme

External bonds

Ennezat on the site of the national geographical Institute
Ennezat on the site of INSEE
Ennezat on the site of Quid
Localization of Ennezat on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Ennezat on Mapquest

Random links: