France romane: Moissac
After Beaulieu and Carennac, I drove 90 minutes to the southernmost and westernmost point of this Grand Tour 2022 to reach the small town of Moissac, not far from Toulouse in the département of Tarn-et-Garonne.
Dedicated to Saint Peter and located on the path to Compostela (and therefore a UNESCO World Heritage site), the Benedictine abbey of Moissac was founded in the 700s. According to legend, it was founded even earlier, in 506, by the freshly converted Clovis, King of the Franks, but there is no historical evidence that this ever happened. Affiliated to Cluny from 1047, it became the most powerful monastery of southwestern France and numbered over 1,000 monks —most likely including lay brothers, though.
There is so much to say about the abbey of Moissac that I will, for the most part, refer my readers to the many lengthy internet pages that describe it, not to mention of course the Quercy roman book by Zodiaque. The most famous parts are the stunning tympanum, the iconic statue of Saint Jeremy and the Year 1100 cloister with its 7- capitals, most of them historied. All of those are masterpieces of Romanesque art and known worldwide.
The abbey was on the very first list of Historic Landmarks in 1840. It is an absolute must-see for all people interested in the Middle Ages, and we will devote quite a few days to its visit.
The southern portal tympanum (which could use a good cleaning, as is shown by the tested area on the viola of one of the Elders towards the top right) ranks among the half dozen absolute masterpieces of Romanesque sculpture, and probably among the best two or three (the tympanum of Autun also comes to mind). Tens of thousands of scholars have studied it in minute detail. It is the single most impressive and astounding piece of art in Moissac, although I must admit I have a preference for the long and lean statue of Jeremy, which I will show tomorrow.
France romane: Moissac
After Beaulieu and Carennac, I drove 90 minutes to the southernmost and westernmost point of this Grand Tour 2022 to reach the small town of Moissac, not far from Toulouse in the département of Tarn-et-Garonne.
Dedicated to Saint Peter and located on the path to Compostela (and therefore a UNESCO World Heritage site), the Benedictine abbey of Moissac was founded in the 700s. According to legend, it was founded even earlier, in 506, by the freshly converted Clovis, King of the Franks, but there is no historical evidence that this ever happened. Affiliated to Cluny from 1047, it became the most powerful monastery of southwestern France and numbered over 1,000 monks —most likely including lay brothers, though.
There is so much to say about the abbey of Moissac that I will, for the most part, refer my readers to the many lengthy internet pages that describe it, not to mention of course the Quercy roman book by Zodiaque. The most famous parts are the stunning tympanum, the iconic statue of Saint Jeremy and the Year 1100 cloister with its 7- capitals, most of them historied. All of those are masterpieces of Romanesque art and known worldwide.
The abbey was on the very first list of Historic Landmarks in 1840. It is an absolute must-see for all people interested in the Middle Ages, and we will devote quite a few days to its visit.
The southern portal tympanum (which could use a good cleaning, as is shown by the tested area on the viola of one of the Elders towards the top right) ranks among the half dozen absolute masterpieces of Romanesque sculpture, and probably among the best two or three (the tympanum of Autun also comes to mind). Tens of thousands of scholars have studied it in minute detail. It is the single most impressive and astounding piece of art in Moissac, although I must admit I have a preference for the long and lean statue of Jeremy, which I will show tomorrow.