Autun Cathedral

The Saint- Lazare Autun Cathedral is considered one of the most important Romanesque monuments in Burgundy.

It is a holy consecrated Lazarus, three-aisled basilica with rich facade jewelry that claimed the highest place of the upper town of Autun. Since 1949, she has the title of a papal basilica minor. The cultural monument was classified as a monument historique in 1840.

Tympanum

The tympanum, thus the configured gable of the west portal of the cathedral, is a succinct stone in the Last Judgement, the master Gislebertus who has probably created the most gifted Burgundian Steinmetz of his era, and is known by name by an inscription over the main entrance. Consisting of 29 individual plates tympanum shows a representation of the Last Judgment. Christ flanked by Mary and the Archangel Michael who weighs the souls.

Gislebertus has drawn his work at the feet of Christ with his name, at that time a very unusual event. His sculptor style can be characterized in that it emphasizes less the body volume, but rather the graphic page. In art history, this is called " dematerialization of the body by the line " (legs right). The individual bodies are not bulky, but rather determined by their linear contour - this stylistic principle pervades the whole Church. In addition, his work is characterized by very intense atmospheric representations of both the demonic devilish side and the heavenly.

Portal systems had initially basically a semi- circular upper end modeled after the Roman triumphal arch. The semicircle was considered a picture of the sky ( the figurative decoration of the arch above the tympanum see monthly images ), it also expressed the Romanesque arches inside the church. The (of Christ as seen ) left side is often the negative, the devil, temptation, the damned subject, which is why at portals often only the right side is open.

The theme of the tympanum, Christ in the mandorla, is the classic theme with large gantry systems - and even in the frescoes in the central apse there appeared frequently on. The Mandorla, a sign of dignity, by four angels carried: Two of them are flying to the other two, with the head down.

One can divide the tympanum into four zones. The top panel is dedicated to the paradise, because the right hand of Christ, we see Mary sitting on a throne ( above left with angel ). To his left are two seated figures in which you want to usually recognize two apostles, as they would complete the series of ten apostles below. The identification as Peter and Paul is excluded, as Peter - clearly identifiable on his big key - already at the right hand of Christ ( tall figure left in the middle) is shown.

On the far left in the bottom corner are the souls who enter Paradise. Law of Christ is the so-called Psychostase represented the Seelenwägung, divided between the Archangel Michael and a devil. The image of the soul balance in hand of the Archangel Michael comes from the Egyptian room. Here was the faith of the ancient cultural country, that the souls of the dead Osiris weighs in the shadow realm, transferred to the Christian readily. At the bottom right, consequently the gates of hell can be seen.

Capitals

The figurative representations of the capitals inside the church - especially in the crossing - are also considered significant. In the chapter hall, adjoining the choir former Council and reading hall of the cathedral, some capitals and figures of Gislebertus are issued.

The Adoration of the Magi

A Dream of Kings

The Flight into Egypt

Architectural History

Already for the late 2nd century a Christian community in the city is occupied. The took place in the 3rd century founding of a bishop's seat, however, is controversial. The first documented mention of a cathedral dated to the middle of the 9th century. A little later Charles the Bald entrusted to the bishop of the city government. The present building was begun around 1120. The still unfinished new building received already in 1130 during the visit of Pope Innocent II 's consecration. Yet in 1146 the porch was in the transfer of the relics of St. Lazarus from the old cathedral still under construction. These relics were originally from the Lazarus Church in Larnaca, from where they came through the detour of Constantinople Opel and Marseille here. After the 1379 destruction suffered by the British took place under Cardinal Jean Rolin ( bishop 1436-1483 ) provides a recovery and expansion that characterizes the exterior of the church with the late Gothic chapel series and the mighty crossing tower today. The cathedral is located high above the city and is surrounded by medieval houses. One of these is the birthplace of the famous Burgundian Chancellor Rolin, the founder of the Hôtel- Dieu in Beaune, which is now a museum.

The nave of the church clearly follows the model of the slightly older third Church of the powerful monastery of Cluny ( 1088). From there, the steep three-part wall structure, the ogival arcades between cross-shaped pillars, the vault of the nave are taken over by a conical buoy and the groined vault of the aisles. However, the individual forms in Autun appear even more oriented to antique models. This will rule out round shapes almost completely in favor of fluted pilasters.

Significant deviations from the Cluniac model are reflected in the design of the presbytery. Instead of dealing with a ring of chapels occurs in Autun, the traditional choir solution with three parallel apses.

Organ

The first organ was built in 1820 by Louis Callinet. This instrument today only some style elements of the organ case. The organ dates back to the factory, which was built in 1876 by Joseph Merklin, and was extended only slightly over time. The instrument has 45 registers on three manuals and pedal today. The play and Registertrakturen are electric.