Dax Cathedral

The Notre- Dame de Sainte -Marie Cathedral in Dax is the fourth in a series of church buildings that were built in honor of Mary.

  • 2.10.1 choir
  • 2.10.2 Lady Chapel
  • 2.10.3 Southern aisle
  • 2.10.4 ambulatory
  • 2.10.5 northern side nave, baptistery chapel in the south aisle
  • 3.1 In the area of the main entrance
  • 3.2 In the ambulatory
  • 3.3 More images

History

Probably stood here until the beginning of the 11th century a small chapel. One of France's oldest bishoprics founded in the mid-third century near Dax. The first bishop was Saint -Vincent -de- Xaintes, who died a martyr. When they decided to move the see the inside of Dax, the chapel was demolished and replaced by a Romanesque cathedral. From this church is not much known, even when it was demolished, is unknown. Some parts of the church are now in the Museum of Borda, Dax.

End of the 13th and beginning of the 14th century, the second cathedral was built. She collapsed 1638-1646. Also, little is known of her. The few received, so for example, the gate of the apostles and the prayer about 80 chairs behind the main altar, the altar of the Virgin Mary and in the northern ambulatory, suggests that there must have been a very beautiful church.

The planning of the present church began in 1647, the start of construction for lack of money, however, only 1694th 1755, the church was consecrated, the facade and the two towers were not finished yet.

Architecture

General

Although the cathedral was built during the Baroque, it was built in the Renaissance style. Consequently, the arches in masonry openings and arches are semicircular. The capitals of pillars and columns are modeled on the ancient Greek ( Doric, Ionic and Corinthian ). Other features of this architectural style are the achromatic high window to allow more light could penetrate into the interior of the church. Coloured windows arrived in the mid 19th century in the cathedral. The unclad, visible from below domes are typical of the Renaissance.

Ground plan

The cathedral has the shape of a Latin cross, the transept divides the nave in a 1:2 ratio. The church is 72 m long and 39 m wide at the transept.

Longitudinal vessels

If you stand at the entrance of the church in the north- west, so you have an overview of the entire nave to the choir. The aisles are separated by 18.8 m high central nave by square pillars. The pilasters of the columns ( Fig. 1) carrying the support ribs of the aisle. The vaulted ceiling (except the dome ) and the frame to the support arches are unadorned. The pillars are supporting elements for the brick vaults whose keystones with sculptures (Fig. 2 ) are decorated. The balconies of the galleries with their flat arched openings and high wide openings are supported by the pillars. Main nave and transept contain eight pillars of the choir at the end of the main aisle nine, so together twenty-five.

The Pilasterfriese are decorated with angel heads ( Fig. 2) and correspond to the Frisians above the galleries, which are decorated with scenes from the Old and New Testament and with plants.

Main altar

The Baroque main altar in the choir (Fig. 6) is the work of the Brothers Mazetti from Ticino and dates of 1751st

Transepts

South side

The south transept contains the Lady Chapel a baroque altar (Fig. 5) with a monumental frame of 1791, who also hails from the brothers Mazetti. The painting behind shows the Assumption of Mary and is from 1765th

Two other paintings by art historical significance involves the Lady Chapel: the adoration of the shepherds on the right. From this painting is believed recently, it was a copy of a defunct work of the German painter Hans von Aachen ( 1552-1615 ). The second painting of Jesus with two disciples is a Flemish masters of the 17th century, attributed to a pupil of Gerrit van Honthorst. This painting is considered the finest in the cathedral.

The grid in front of the communion room comes from the metalsmith Jean Saubot from Bayonne from in 1766.

North side

The north transept stands out through the portal of the Apostles ( Fig. 7). It was the ( Western ) main portal of the earlier church and he refused, in spite of the collapse of this church. By the end of the 19th century, the beginning of the façade construction and the two towers, it remained in its place, was then dismantled and rebuilt inside the church. The gate shows stylistic elements of the northern French Gothic style in the second half of the 13th century. It is therefore assumed to originate from a workshop that area. Located in the tympanum ( pediment ) motif shown is the Last Judgment, as it can also be found in the cathedrals of Paris, Chartres and Amiens. Only the statue of Jesus, the divine Judge is absent. From top to bottom we see

  • Two kneeling angels
  • Two kneeling angels, the crescent moon and the sun holding in hands
  • Two standing angels; one wears a crown of thorns, a spear and a reed, the other three nails and a cross. Framed they are of the kneeling John and Mary. They deplore the suffering of Christ.

Among the heavily damaged representation of St. Michael can be seen (only the lower body is preserved), which weighs the souls. To his left, a demon tries to push the balance to him.

Above the lintel and on about the Apostles we find the representations of the resurrection of the dead, of paradise and hell, to the two sides of the Christ are the elect and the damned.

The vaults are full of statues of angels, female characters ( the wise and foolish virgins ) and the figures of the heavenly court ( saints, bishops and people of the Old Testament ). On a wall pillar is a statue of Christ blessing with the right hand, which is no longer available, however. In his left hand he holds a book. He is surrounded by the twelve apostles, some of which are easy to recognize: Peter with keys, Andreas with a piece of the cross, Paul, James, with a bag full of shells, the emblem of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, John, because of his youth the only beardless and Thomas with a square.

Pulpit

The simple pulpit (Fig. 4) dates from the early 18th century. It is "carried" by an eagle with wings spread wide.

Organ

If you look from the altar towards the entrance, so is a look at the two-part organ loft (Fig. 8) with the center-mounted console. The mechanical parts are covered in the rocaille style. The fairing is from 1786, it is the work of the woodcarver Caular from Dax. The sculptures are made ​​of linden wood, the rest from oak.

The present organ was installed in 1786 and replaced an unknown older instrument. It has been restored three times: at the end of the 19th century, in 1959 and 1987 The latest restoration with a working time of 15,000 hours was in the hands of the organ builder M. Chauvin from Dax..

Dome

The choir is surmounted by a dome (Fig. 3 ), which was built from 1717 to 1718 and restored in 1992. The frieze with plant elements is partly gold plated and is bounded above by a band of linear elements. In the niches above the statues of the four evangelists Matthias stand ( opposite the entrance ), Johannes ( opposite the main altar ), Markus (opposite the Lady altar ) and Luke ( to the Apostle portal). Furthermore, you can see the wall openings and twelve pilasters supporting frieze. The ceiling is decorated with a painting of the Assumption an artist from Bordeaux from the late 19th century. The dome bears outside a pyramid roof, not as usually an outer dome.

Choir

The side screens in the sanctuary were made in 1868 in Dax. There are delicate masterpieces and show above the doors the initials of the Virgin Mary, the intertwined letters AM for Ave Maria, JHS, the initials of Christ and the initials of the main priest (HG), which this grid and the mosaic floor are due out in 1871.

Church window

The stained glass windows represent the following:

Choir

  • The Coronation of the Virgin Mary in Heaven
  • The Immaculate Conception
  • Our Lady of Seven Sorrows

Lady chapel

  • The Annunciation of the Lord, the work of Oudinot from 1873
  • The Visitation, work of DAGRANT from Bordeaux of 1900
  • Wedding of Mary and Joseph, the work of Oudinot
  • The Holy Family, work of DAGRANT
  • Notre -Dame of Buglose, work of Oudinot in the rosette

Southern aisle

  • The guardian angels (Psalm 90.11 )
  • The Annunciation ( Luke 1: 26-38 )
  • The good shepherd with the lost lamb ( Luke 15, 4-7)
  • St. Michael slaying the dragon ( Revelation 12, 7-8)

Ambulatory

  • The Holy Family and the death of Joseph ( in the area of ​​Joseph's altar )
  • The appearance of the Sacred Heart ( visions of Marguerite -Marie Alacoque in Paray -le- Monial in the 17th century)
  • Dedicated to another window, the Heart of Jesus
  • Jesus and the Children
  • The Taming storm
  • Saint Charles Borromeo
  • Saint- Vincent- de -Paul

Northern side nave, baptistery chapel in the south aisle

All six windows are from 1899, works by Felix Gaudin of Paris ( 1851-1930 )

  • Joan of Arc
  • Catherine of Alexandria
  • St. Elizabeth and the Rose Miracle
  • Jesus at Bethany
  • The Baptism of Jesus ( in the baptistery )
  • Stigmatization of St. Francis ( in the south aisle )

Painting

Except in the Lady Chapel there are other paintings in the cathedral:

In the area of the main entrance

  • St. Jerome
  • Mary Magdalene

In ambulatory

  • Saint- Vincent- de -Paul welcomes a child (Fig. 9)

More images

  • A Cross on the altar of the Sacred Heart (picture 10)
  • Jesus and St. Peter, Jesus walks on the water, followed by Peter
  • Assumption, a copy of a Murillo painting

Gallery

View from East

View from South East

The Steeples

Church Interior

Church window

Frontal view on market day (Saturday)

Church window

Church window

Detail of the facade

View towards organ

Romanesque art Arcade (architecture) Flemish people Notre Dame de Paris Amiens Cathedral Tilia Paray-le-Monial Miracle of the roses Flying buttress
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