Bourgogne romane: l’église Saint-Pierre de Brancion
Brancion is a very nicely preserved Mediæval village in southern Burgundy, with its cluster of low houses nested around haughty castle ruins and its network of very narrow, paved or grass-covered streets that only a handful of small cars belonging to residents can navigate. I had of course been there before, but the Romanesque parish church that sits on a nearby hilltop had so far managed to elude me; this time, on a very windy and slightly rainy September afternoon, I devoted a good two hours to its visit. Here are the photographs I brought back, I hope you will enjoy them.
Built by the lords of Brancion around 1100 and dedicated to Saint Peter, this very interesting church is quite large for such a small village (the nave is 30 meters long and 14 wide with the aisles), even though the locale had more importance back then than now. The church was listed as a Historic Landmark in 1862. It is very pure and nicely appareled, although originally almost entirely devoid of any decoration. Alfresco paintings were added around 1250. We will also see the recumbent statue and tomb of Josserand III of Brancion, who died during the 7th Crusade, at the battle of Mansourah in Egypt in 1250, where he defended King Louis IX (Saint Louis).
The façade of the church is very simple, understated and unadorned. Yet it avoids being plain and manages to be harmonious and inviting, in a “come-and rest-into-my-womb” sort of way.
Bourgogne romane: l’église Saint-Pierre de Brancion
Brancion is a very nicely preserved Mediæval village in southern Burgundy, with its cluster of low houses nested around haughty castle ruins and its network of very narrow, paved or grass-covered streets that only a handful of small cars belonging to residents can navigate. I had of course been there before, but the Romanesque parish church that sits on a nearby hilltop had so far managed to elude me; this time, on a very windy and slightly rainy September afternoon, I devoted a good two hours to its visit. Here are the photographs I brought back, I hope you will enjoy them.
Built by the lords of Brancion around 1100 and dedicated to Saint Peter, this very interesting church is quite large for such a small village (the nave is 30 meters long and 14 wide with the aisles), even though the locale had more importance back then than now. The church was listed as a Historic Landmark in 1862. It is very pure and nicely appareled, although originally almost entirely devoid of any decoration. Alfresco paintings were added around 1250. We will also see the recumbent statue and tomb of Josserand III of Brancion, who died during the 7th Crusade, at the battle of Mansourah in Egypt in 1250, where he defended King Louis IX (Saint Louis).
The façade of the church is very simple, understated and unadorned. Yet it avoids being plain and manages to be harmonious and inviting, in a “come-and rest-into-my-womb” sort of way.