Priory Church

A priory (French église prieurale, English priory church. ) Is a medieval church, which to a Priory - a monastery of lower rank than an abbey - was that an organizational function of a - was larger at the Monastery - often far distant.

History

Through donations, grants or bequests the larger monasteries in Europe came in the 11th and 12th centuries in the possession of lands in distant regions. This land had to be cultivated and managed - this could be done by tenants, but also by the monks themselves faithful to the Benedictine principle ora et labora. In some cases, the foundations were associated with the condition that on the lands of a church should be built, in what was after the death of the founder prayed for his salvation.

If the number of monks in a monastery mother was too great, which was often the case in the High Middle Ages, the foundation of a priory offered new space. Since many records were lost over time, is not known in some cases, the name of the original parent monastery today.

Since not all monks - especially in later times - myself physically worked, more and more people settled in the vicinity of an abbey and a priory and its often extensive commercial farm who did the farming activities as serfs or as legally free craftsmen ( blacksmiths, wheelwrights, etc.) were employed. In this way, smaller villages emerged in the immediate neighborhood.

The income from agricultural production were essentially self-sufficiency of the Priory and the respective mother monastery. Also the supply of pilgrims was an important task. Whether any surplus sold in markets is not known, but in a time of declining numbers monk quite probable.

Another source of income was a priory in its role as a regional pilgrims or pilgrimage. To be found to this day in some former Prioratskirchen as ' miraculous ' venerated Mary or saints'. This also explains the size of the church buildings, the capacity of which not infrequently the 20 - or 30-fold increase over the respective monastic community.

After the Reformation upheavals church under Henry VIII in England and by the secularization of the European continent monasteries and abbeys and priories were thus dissolved; the buildings were used for other purposes or as quarries, the former monastic churches were converted normally to parish churches.

Churches

An architectural building type a priory does not exist; the churches were usually three aisles ( basilica ) and thus larger than the most -nave parish churches only, but smaller than their mother monasteries. In some regions of southwest France ( Saintonge, Angoumois, and others), however, has a tradition aisled churches emerged, so that there the single nave can not be regarded as evidence of a parish church.

A clear indication for the positive identification of a church as a former priory or collegiate however is the presence of a second portal on the south side ( cf. Saint- Pierre -aux -Liens ( Varenne- l'Arconce ), Priory St- Julien in Chauriat, priory Thuret, La Peyratte, Échebrune and others), the former as a separate - access was used by the enclosure area - reserved for only the monks and Conventual. This portal has been in some cases later, ie after the dissolution of the Priory, bricked (eg St- Hilaire de Melle ).

Cloister and outbuildings

To - usually located on the south side - Exam area of ​​a priory was usually a simple cloister, which sometimes consisted of only a single wing. Most of these cloisters have disappeared after the dissolution of the monasteries. The same applies for the cloister affiliated parts of the building ( dormitory, refectory ) and outbuildings ( farm buildings, stables, workshops, etc.). A scriptorium was in the priories usually not available; the often artful copying books remained task and source of income of the abbeys. Also a chapter house did not exist in the priories originally probably because the important decisions were taken to secular financing and construction matters in the respective mother monastery.

Art Historical Significance

Many abbey churches have been demolished in the time of the French Revolution; most Prioratskirchen but were converted into parish churches and remained that way for posterity. Their architecture is mostly mature; in some cases they are even considered reduced image of the mother monastery ( Cluny Paray-le-Monial/Abtei ). Moreover, some Prioratskirchen sometimes pose real art treasures such as frescoes, rood screen or Marienbildnisse and saints.

Significant Prioratskirchen

Burgundy

  • Ste- Trinité d' Anzy -le- Duc
  • Chapelle des Moines ( Berzé -la- Ville)
  • St-Etienne de Nevers
  • St- Martin de Chapaize
  • Notre- Dame de La Charité
  • Sacré- Cœur de Paray -le- Monial
  • Priory Perrecy -les -Forges
  • St- André d' Iguerande
  • Saint- Pierre -aux -Liens ( Varenne- l'Arconce )
  • St- Thibault de Saint -Thibault

Auvergne

  • Notre- Dame de Châtel -Montagne
  • Priory Church of St- Julien in Chauriat
  • Notre- Dame-du -Mont- Cornadore de Saint- Nectaire
  • Priory Thuret

Poitou -Charente

  • St- Hilaire de Melle
  • St- Martin de Chadenac
  • Prieuré St- Nicolas de Civray
  • Notre- Dame de Champdeniers
  • St- Pierre d' Échebrune
  • Prieuré de Saint- Généroux
  • Priory of Sainte -Gemme
  • Priory Church of Lichères
  • Ste -Radegonde de Talmont
  • St- Pierre de Pont- l'Abbé - d'Arnoult
  • St Eutropius de Saintes
  • Saint- Sulpice ( Marignac )

Aquitaine

  • St- Léon ( Saint -Léon- sur -Vézère )
  • Saint -Martin in Besse ( Dordogne)
  • Church of Notre -Dame, Moirax
  • Saint- Astier, Catus
  • Sainte -Gemme (Charente -Maritime)

Normandy

  • St- Gabriel - Brécy (Calvados )

Loire

  • Notre- Dame de Cunault
  • Former Priory St- Martin, Ambierle

Rhône -Alpes

Lorraine

Provence

  • St- Trinit (Vaucluse )
  • Notre- Dame-de- l'Assomption ( Moustiers -Sainte- Marie)

Languedoc -Roussillon

  • Priory Church of Prévenchères
  • Prieuré de Serrabone
  • Prieuré de Marcevol

Switzerland

  • Grandson ( Vaud)
  • Sainte -Sulpice ( Wallis )
  • Priory Niedergesteln ( Wallis )

Italy

  • Santa Maria del Priorat

Spain

See span. WP article ' Iglesia Prioral '

England

See Engl. WP- item ' Priory Church '

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