The Holy Sepulchre of Angers

The church of the the Holy Sepulchre , located at Angers, in France, is one of both Réplique S of the the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, which shelters the tomb of Jesus-Christ. The other counterpart is with Washington DC, with the the United States.

History

The construction of a counterpart of the the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is the work of Monseigneur Henri Potard. “I thought of so many faithful which will be able to never go in Holy Land. ” This prelate angevin, born in 1866, led 72 pilgrimages in Palestine. He brought back of them the majority of materials and objects necessary to the decoration of the monument. The construction, begun in 1931, is completed in 1935.

The architecture of the monument

The work is composed of a rotunda crowned of a cupola and surrounded by a gallery, or déambulatoire. The unit is 24 meters in diameter and, inside, the cupola rises with 22 meters. Eight windows light the lantern which constitutes the top of it. A cross of iron dominated the monument. It had to be gone down because of the bad condition of its concrete bed.

Outside, the rotunda is dug of sixteen niches which were to receive, inter alia, the statues of the twelve Apôtres. Seven only are furnished. Under the cupola the shelter rises which contains the tomb of the Christ. It is absolutely similar to that of Jerusalem by its aspect and its dimensions: 8 meters 25 of length, 5 meters broad and 5 meters in height. Its side walls, decorated of sixteen pilasters, support a small terrace with balustrade in posts, surmounted by a kind of crushed dome, in the shape of crown. Just like its model, this shelter is divided into two rooms which communicate by a very low door (L measures 33).

Two rooms

The vault of the Angel

The first, called “vault of the Angel”, measures 3 meters 45 out of 2 meters 90. In its center draws up a small marble stele, retorts that which, with Jerusalem, shelters a fragment of the grinding stone which closed the tomb. On the right and on the left, the two cylindrical openings are seen by which the monks of Greek worship and Armenian worship present new fire to their faithful respective to the day of their Easter Saturday. This room is decorated of twelve small white columns and the drawings of the marble paving stone reproduce those of the original. It is in this place that in the morning of Easter the angel called to the holy women: “You do not frighten. It is Jesus Nazarénien which you seek, Crucifié: they is ressuscity, it is not here. Here the place where it had been put. ”

The second room

The second room represents the the Holy Sepulchre itself. It measures 2m on 1m95. With Jerusalem, the funeral layer, in the rock, is covered with white a marble flagstone posed with 60cm above paid. The same provision was rigorously observed here. Moreover, the flagstone of the tomb was polished by the Chrétiens of the Holy City: out of marble, it has 12cm thickness and weighs 600kg. The copper lamps and candlesticks also come from Palestine. Several fragments of rocks, brought back Holy Places, are laid out around. As with Jerusalem, the vault of each room is bored of an opening intended for the evacuation of the smoke of the lamps, Cierges and Encens.

The Vault: chorus of the Greeks of the basilica of Jerusalem

Vis-a-vis the shelter a vault opens which corresponds to the chorus of the Greeks of the basilica of Jerusalem. On its walls runs a skirting decorated with a lace and a Chemin of cross out of mother-of-pearl, work of the Chrétiens of Bethlehem. The stone of furnace bridge comes from the Holy City and was used to even celebrate the mass on the the Holy Sepulchre, the day of Easter. Above this Chapelle is placed a bell coming from the Mont Thabor which one sounded on arrival of the pilgrims.

The panorama of Jerusalem

All around the cupola is held the panorama of Jerusalem and its surroundings. South in north and is to the west, thirty and one remarkable sites are thus represented. The unit is enriched by ten Vitraux and thirteen tables. Works of artists angevins, they make it possible to discover the landscapes of Palestine and to revive certain episodes of the life of Jesus.

The cross of the pilgrims

Close to the stained glass representing the basilica of the the Holy Sepulchre draws up a large cross. It was carried thirty three times by the pilgrims of Monseigneur Potard. Three statues surround it: the Virgin Mary, holy Jean and Holy Marie-madeleine.

Cultural activity(AP) with Easter

Since 2006, a cultural activity(AP) proposes to the visitors to discover the Holy Sepulchre of Angers. These days suggested during the Pascal weekend make it possible to emphasize this single monument in Europe.

External bonds

Site presenting annual animations
Site of the ministry for the culture: data resulting from the mérimée base

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