Poitiers roman: Sainte-Radegonde
Today and tomorrow, we continue our visit of the last Romanesque church for us in Poitiers before we leave this region of France: Sainte-Radegonde.
The first church here was built in the 500s by Radegonde, queen of the Franks, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It was renamed in honor of Radegonde herself in 587 after she was sanctified. She had been interred within and, in 1012, after her sanctification, her bones were exhumed on order from Abbess Béliarde and placed in a stone sarcophagus that to this day lies in the crypt, as we will see. The church also served as a burial place for the nuns of the Holy Cross Abbey, the first abbey for women ever created in Gaul, which had been founded by the same Radegonde.
During the early Middle Ages, churches and other buildings often perished by fire: candles and oil lamps were the only way to light buildings that were often quite dark, therefore a number of them were needed —and of course, the opus Dei went on after sunset and before sunrise, and candles were needed for that, too. So, at any time, a number of open flame devices were burning, and there were many wood items inside. Also, most churches were then timber-roofed... You can imagine the rest. The Sainte-Radegonde church fell victime to such a fire and was rebuilt in the late 1000s, having been consecrated in 1099. It was then a collegiate church, the prior being appointed by the abbess of Holy Cross Abbey.
From that old Romanesque church, the lower part of the bell tower, as well as the whole eastern end (choir and apse) have survived. The nave is 13th century Romanesque, and was re-vaulted in Gothic style in the 1300s.
The real crypt under the choir was rather spacious and its three apses housed the remains of Sainte Radegonde, Sainte Agnès (abbess of the aforementioned Holy Cross Abbey) and Sainte Disciole. As the pilgrimage of Sainte Radegonde was growing ever more popular, changes had to be made in the 19th century to the layout of the crypt and of the “basement” where its sarcophagus now lies.
The two other saints are still in the crypt and still the subject of devotion to this day.
Three-exposure panorama shot stitched with PTGui software.
Poitiers roman: Sainte-Radegonde
Today and tomorrow, we continue our visit of the last Romanesque church for us in Poitiers before we leave this region of France: Sainte-Radegonde.
The first church here was built in the 500s by Radegonde, queen of the Franks, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It was renamed in honor of Radegonde herself in 587 after she was sanctified. She had been interred within and, in 1012, after her sanctification, her bones were exhumed on order from Abbess Béliarde and placed in a stone sarcophagus that to this day lies in the crypt, as we will see. The church also served as a burial place for the nuns of the Holy Cross Abbey, the first abbey for women ever created in Gaul, which had been founded by the same Radegonde.
During the early Middle Ages, churches and other buildings often perished by fire: candles and oil lamps were the only way to light buildings that were often quite dark, therefore a number of them were needed —and of course, the opus Dei went on after sunset and before sunrise, and candles were needed for that, too. So, at any time, a number of open flame devices were burning, and there were many wood items inside. Also, most churches were then timber-roofed... You can imagine the rest. The Sainte-Radegonde church fell victime to such a fire and was rebuilt in the late 1000s, having been consecrated in 1099. It was then a collegiate church, the prior being appointed by the abbess of Holy Cross Abbey.
From that old Romanesque church, the lower part of the bell tower, as well as the whole eastern end (choir and apse) have survived. The nave is 13th century Romanesque, and was re-vaulted in Gothic style in the 1300s.
The real crypt under the choir was rather spacious and its three apses housed the remains of Sainte Radegonde, Sainte Agnès (abbess of the aforementioned Holy Cross Abbey) and Sainte Disciole. As the pilgrimage of Sainte Radegonde was growing ever more popular, changes had to be made in the 19th century to the layout of the crypt and of the “basement” where its sarcophagus now lies.
The two other saints are still in the crypt and still the subject of devotion to this day.
Three-exposure panorama shot stitched with PTGui software.