ellapronkraft.
2015-12-30 Orléan, Cathédrale Sainte-Croix, Loiret, Centre-Val de Loire DSC9791
La fondation de Sainte-Croix
La première église fut édifiée vers 330 dans l’angle nord-est de la ville fortifiée alors appelée Aurelianum. Elle doit son vocable à saint Euverte, son fondateur. En effet, c’est à cette époque que la Croix du Christ fut découverte à Jérusalem par sainte Hélène, mère de l’empereur romain Constantin Ier. Un morceau de cette « Vraie Croix » fut conservé comme relique dans la cathédrale. Saint Aignan, évêque successeur de saint Euverte, termine l’édifice et c’est l'architecte Mélius qui en surélève l’abside et le chœur vers 450.
La fin de l'église Sainte-Croix
Les Normands pillèrent l'église en 865, mais ne purent la brûler. Les rois carolingiens Carloman et Arnulph la reconstruisirent en 883.
En 989, un grand incendie détruisit une partie de la ville, y compris Sainte Croix.
Sainte-Croix, cathédrale romane
Au xie siècle, l'église cathédrale Saint-Étienne devient trop exiguë pour rester la principale église du diocèse d'Orléans. L'église Sainte-Croix est alors élevée au rang de cathédrale. Les bâtiments du chapitre sont regroupés au sud et à l'est de la cathédrale actuelle.
L’hérésie d'Orléans décrite par plusieurs textes et chroniques médiévales est une hérésie savante qui touche en 1022 une douzaine des plus érudits parmi les chanoines de la cathédrale Sainte-Croix, liés notamment à l'entourage de la reine Constance d'Arles. Ces derniers sont brûlés comme hérétiques sur ordre du roi capétien Robert le Pieux. Il s'agit du premier bûcher de la chrétienté médiévale.
L'évêque Arnoul II entreprend la reconstruction de l'église afin de doter Orléans d'une cathédrale digne de son rang. Cet édifice roman, achevé au xiie siècle, fut une vaste cathédrale avec un déambulatoire agrémenté d'alvéoles, et une belle façade appuyée par deux tours. Mais, construite sans doute trop rapidement, elle menaça ruine au bout de 200 ans et s'effondra en partie en 1227.
Le renouveau gothique
En 1278, l'évêque Robert de Courtenay, arrière-petit-fils du roi de France Louis le Gros, décida, au lieu de restaurer l'édifice en ruine, d'édifier une autre église dans le style nouveau qui fleurissait alors en France. Mais contraint de suivre le roi Saint Louis en Terre Sainte, il lègue le soin de poursuivre et d'achever les travaux à son ami l'évêque Gilles Pasté, son successeur. Celui-ci pose la première pierre du nouvel édifice gothique le 11 septembre 1288. Comme le veut l'usage, c'est par le chœur que les travaux commenceront, pour finir par la nef. Les anciennes tours romanes de la façade occidentale, ainsi que les travées de la nef non ruinées, seront conservées.
À son achèvement, la nouvelle cathédrale comportait un chœur gothique soutenu par de magnifiques arcs-boutants. Ce chœur fut complété par des chapelles absidiales à la fin du xiiie siècle et par des chapelles latérales au cours du xive siècle.
La cathédrale passe sans heurts la Guerre de Cent Ans, y compris le siège d'Orléans levé grâce à Jeanne d'Arc le 8 mai 1429.
En 1512, une grosse boule dorée surmontée d'une croix est hissée sur le clocher qui vient d'être élevé au-dessus de la croisée des transepts. Dans les années qui suivent, le raccord avec les transepts romans est terminé ; quatre travées neuves permettent à la nef d'atteindre le portail qui s'encastre entre ses deux vieilles tours.
The destruction by the Huguenots
In 1567 began the second war of religion and Orleans, more than half gained to their cause, passed into the hands of the Protestants who are bent on churches soon. Deploring these excesses, the Prince de Condé, head of the Protestants, made wall openings of the cathedral to prevent further looting. However, a small group of fanatics Huguenots disappointed Condé ready to deal with Catholics, enters the Cathedral on the night of March 23 to 24, 1568 and blew up the four pillars of the transept crossing. The pillars collapsed, causing the steeple, copper surmounting the sphere, the vaults of the chancel and nave. Only the apse remain intact radiating chapels around the choir, and the first two bays of the nave. Work interim clearing and development will be carried out quickly.
On July 2, 1598, King Henry IV returned to Britain after he signed the Edict of Nantes that will put an end to religious wars. In Orleans, it promises to launch, at the expense of the state, the reconstruction of the cathedral. It seals the foundation stone on April 18, 1601. A plate is then placed on one of the remaining pillars.
Reconstruction: the Cathedral of the Bourbons
The April 18, 1601, the King and Queen Marie de Medici laid the first stone of the new building. The choir was completed in 1623.
In 1627, we laid the foundations of the transept which will be completed in 1636.
The north transept was completed in 1643 and the south transept in 1690. The brand of the Sun King appears by introducing classicism share in the Gothic style building. His portrait and motto Nec pluribus impar also listed, with the completion date of 1679, in the center of the rosette located above the south transept portal. Currency can be translated: It would suffice to [govern] many [kingdoms].
The architect Étienne Martellange labored there in the seventeenth century, succeeded in the eighteenth century by Jacques V Gabriel, who created the stalls and choir screen and Louis-François Trouard.
In 1739 starts the construction of the western gate topped the two towers, extension of the nave. The old Romanesque façade, which has survived all the destruction was demolished. The façade until the base of the towers, was completed in 1773. The first two floors of the towers are built over the next ten years, while the need to strengthen the portal that threatens to collapse.
The Revolution suspended the proceedings, it lacks the Gothic building than its two towers.
It contains the work in 1817. The king Charles X inaugurated completion May 8, 1829, for the 400th anniversary of lifting the English siege by Joan of Arc and her army: a monumental flight of steps takes square outside the cathedral, along with the breakthrough of the new St. Joan of Arc and the creation of the great cathedral square.
The ravages of time and war
Since its completion in 1829, the cathedral has experienced the ravages of time and war.
The bell tower, which bowed ominously, was destroyed in 1854 and rebuilt and inaugurated in 1858.
The windows of the choir (work Lobin) are installed in 1859 at the Mgr Dupanloup initiative.
In 1940, during the German advance, part of the historic center of Orleans is ravaged by bombs and German shells. The cathedral is also affected, but the damage remains minor, like in 1944. Since the end of the Second World War, the restoration works succeed to restore the building to its former glory. However, the horrors of war are not all repaired for example, access to the two towers is closed to the public because not repaired since 1940; following the bombing of May 1944, the drone, bell worst (and therefore bigger) found himself finally cracked (in 1971). Become so unusable, it has been recast and reinstalled in 2012.
Archaeological research
The discovery of the seventeenth century
François Lemaire, judge ecclesiastical court of Orleans, recounts in History of the Church and diocese of Orleans in 1628 allegedly found during the digging of foundations for the north transept, the remains of a castle Roman who has, thereafter, never been confirmed.
Excavations 1890
The first discoveries date back to the insured work undertaken in 1889/1890 to install a stove in the cathedral. They helped to recognize the North Arm and the crossing, the alignment of the southern pillars of the nave of the Romanesque cathedral. Their publication is accompanied by a plan providing a hypothetical restitution, strongly inspired by Saint-Sernin in Toulouse plan (double nave aisle, very short choir and ambulatory with five chapels). Other reconstructions, equally distant from the historical reality was even suggested by Paul Frankl or Frédéric Lesueur.
Excavations 1937-1942
In 1937 opened under the direction of Georges Chenesseau, became honorary canon between time, the first real excavations conducted in order to recognize the Romanesque choir. Its results are spectacular: all the Romanesque choir, the fruit of two building campaigns, the ambulatory and the entrance to the shaft chapels are now known. The results are stored in an archaeological basement incorrectly called crypt, this space has no religious function.
Besides graves and substructures of Romanesque and Carolingian times, are revealed building remains attributed to the Gallo-romaine9 time. Georges Chenesseau identifies immediately with the basilica built by the holy bishop Euverte, causing violent controversy that quickly exceeded the local single frame.
In 1940 a survey in the north aisle of the nave shows the north wall of the nave, thus demonstrating that the Romanesque cathedral had only one aisle.
It remained to resolve the many chapels. Excavations in 1941 before the sacristy provide the answer: the cathedral of Orleans had three chapels.
Jeanne D'Arc
There is an indirect link between the present cathedral and Joan of Arc. The national historic heroine came following the Vespers Mass May 2, 1429 during the siege of Orleans (we must remember that the building as it is today did not exist in 1429, with the exception of the chapels apse, which surround the choir at the rear). It may be mentioned also that the rue Jeanne d'Arc opened the nineteenth century arrived before the main facade (at the time we wanted to release the foremost shrine small streets and medieval buildings that the hemmed, the name did not come after).
Each year, on the evening of May 7, during Johanniques holidays, takes place on the square, the ceremony of Delivery of Etendard (which evokes that of Joan of Arc). The municipality is the guardian and send it to Catholic religious authorities for the duration of the festivities. The facade of the cathedral is then used to support a sound and light. wp
2015-12-30 Orléan, Cathédrale Sainte-Croix, Loiret, Centre-Val de Loire DSC9791
La fondation de Sainte-Croix
La première église fut édifiée vers 330 dans l’angle nord-est de la ville fortifiée alors appelée Aurelianum. Elle doit son vocable à saint Euverte, son fondateur. En effet, c’est à cette époque que la Croix du Christ fut découverte à Jérusalem par sainte Hélène, mère de l’empereur romain Constantin Ier. Un morceau de cette « Vraie Croix » fut conservé comme relique dans la cathédrale. Saint Aignan, évêque successeur de saint Euverte, termine l’édifice et c’est l'architecte Mélius qui en surélève l’abside et le chœur vers 450.
La fin de l'église Sainte-Croix
Les Normands pillèrent l'église en 865, mais ne purent la brûler. Les rois carolingiens Carloman et Arnulph la reconstruisirent en 883.
En 989, un grand incendie détruisit une partie de la ville, y compris Sainte Croix.
Sainte-Croix, cathédrale romane
Au xie siècle, l'église cathédrale Saint-Étienne devient trop exiguë pour rester la principale église du diocèse d'Orléans. L'église Sainte-Croix est alors élevée au rang de cathédrale. Les bâtiments du chapitre sont regroupés au sud et à l'est de la cathédrale actuelle.
L’hérésie d'Orléans décrite par plusieurs textes et chroniques médiévales est une hérésie savante qui touche en 1022 une douzaine des plus érudits parmi les chanoines de la cathédrale Sainte-Croix, liés notamment à l'entourage de la reine Constance d'Arles. Ces derniers sont brûlés comme hérétiques sur ordre du roi capétien Robert le Pieux. Il s'agit du premier bûcher de la chrétienté médiévale.
L'évêque Arnoul II entreprend la reconstruction de l'église afin de doter Orléans d'une cathédrale digne de son rang. Cet édifice roman, achevé au xiie siècle, fut une vaste cathédrale avec un déambulatoire agrémenté d'alvéoles, et une belle façade appuyée par deux tours. Mais, construite sans doute trop rapidement, elle menaça ruine au bout de 200 ans et s'effondra en partie en 1227.
Le renouveau gothique
En 1278, l'évêque Robert de Courtenay, arrière-petit-fils du roi de France Louis le Gros, décida, au lieu de restaurer l'édifice en ruine, d'édifier une autre église dans le style nouveau qui fleurissait alors en France. Mais contraint de suivre le roi Saint Louis en Terre Sainte, il lègue le soin de poursuivre et d'achever les travaux à son ami l'évêque Gilles Pasté, son successeur. Celui-ci pose la première pierre du nouvel édifice gothique le 11 septembre 1288. Comme le veut l'usage, c'est par le chœur que les travaux commenceront, pour finir par la nef. Les anciennes tours romanes de la façade occidentale, ainsi que les travées de la nef non ruinées, seront conservées.
À son achèvement, la nouvelle cathédrale comportait un chœur gothique soutenu par de magnifiques arcs-boutants. Ce chœur fut complété par des chapelles absidiales à la fin du xiiie siècle et par des chapelles latérales au cours du xive siècle.
La cathédrale passe sans heurts la Guerre de Cent Ans, y compris le siège d'Orléans levé grâce à Jeanne d'Arc le 8 mai 1429.
En 1512, une grosse boule dorée surmontée d'une croix est hissée sur le clocher qui vient d'être élevé au-dessus de la croisée des transepts. Dans les années qui suivent, le raccord avec les transepts romans est terminé ; quatre travées neuves permettent à la nef d'atteindre le portail qui s'encastre entre ses deux vieilles tours.
The destruction by the Huguenots
In 1567 began the second war of religion and Orleans, more than half gained to their cause, passed into the hands of the Protestants who are bent on churches soon. Deploring these excesses, the Prince de Condé, head of the Protestants, made wall openings of the cathedral to prevent further looting. However, a small group of fanatics Huguenots disappointed Condé ready to deal with Catholics, enters the Cathedral on the night of March 23 to 24, 1568 and blew up the four pillars of the transept crossing. The pillars collapsed, causing the steeple, copper surmounting the sphere, the vaults of the chancel and nave. Only the apse remain intact radiating chapels around the choir, and the first two bays of the nave. Work interim clearing and development will be carried out quickly.
On July 2, 1598, King Henry IV returned to Britain after he signed the Edict of Nantes that will put an end to religious wars. In Orleans, it promises to launch, at the expense of the state, the reconstruction of the cathedral. It seals the foundation stone on April 18, 1601. A plate is then placed on one of the remaining pillars.
Reconstruction: the Cathedral of the Bourbons
The April 18, 1601, the King and Queen Marie de Medici laid the first stone of the new building. The choir was completed in 1623.
In 1627, we laid the foundations of the transept which will be completed in 1636.
The north transept was completed in 1643 and the south transept in 1690. The brand of the Sun King appears by introducing classicism share in the Gothic style building. His portrait and motto Nec pluribus impar also listed, with the completion date of 1679, in the center of the rosette located above the south transept portal. Currency can be translated: It would suffice to [govern] many [kingdoms].
The architect Étienne Martellange labored there in the seventeenth century, succeeded in the eighteenth century by Jacques V Gabriel, who created the stalls and choir screen and Louis-François Trouard.
In 1739 starts the construction of the western gate topped the two towers, extension of the nave. The old Romanesque façade, which has survived all the destruction was demolished. The façade until the base of the towers, was completed in 1773. The first two floors of the towers are built over the next ten years, while the need to strengthen the portal that threatens to collapse.
The Revolution suspended the proceedings, it lacks the Gothic building than its two towers.
It contains the work in 1817. The king Charles X inaugurated completion May 8, 1829, for the 400th anniversary of lifting the English siege by Joan of Arc and her army: a monumental flight of steps takes square outside the cathedral, along with the breakthrough of the new St. Joan of Arc and the creation of the great cathedral square.
The ravages of time and war
Since its completion in 1829, the cathedral has experienced the ravages of time and war.
The bell tower, which bowed ominously, was destroyed in 1854 and rebuilt and inaugurated in 1858.
The windows of the choir (work Lobin) are installed in 1859 at the Mgr Dupanloup initiative.
In 1940, during the German advance, part of the historic center of Orleans is ravaged by bombs and German shells. The cathedral is also affected, but the damage remains minor, like in 1944. Since the end of the Second World War, the restoration works succeed to restore the building to its former glory. However, the horrors of war are not all repaired for example, access to the two towers is closed to the public because not repaired since 1940; following the bombing of May 1944, the drone, bell worst (and therefore bigger) found himself finally cracked (in 1971). Become so unusable, it has been recast and reinstalled in 2012.
Archaeological research
The discovery of the seventeenth century
François Lemaire, judge ecclesiastical court of Orleans, recounts in History of the Church and diocese of Orleans in 1628 allegedly found during the digging of foundations for the north transept, the remains of a castle Roman who has, thereafter, never been confirmed.
Excavations 1890
The first discoveries date back to the insured work undertaken in 1889/1890 to install a stove in the cathedral. They helped to recognize the North Arm and the crossing, the alignment of the southern pillars of the nave of the Romanesque cathedral. Their publication is accompanied by a plan providing a hypothetical restitution, strongly inspired by Saint-Sernin in Toulouse plan (double nave aisle, very short choir and ambulatory with five chapels). Other reconstructions, equally distant from the historical reality was even suggested by Paul Frankl or Frédéric Lesueur.
Excavations 1937-1942
In 1937 opened under the direction of Georges Chenesseau, became honorary canon between time, the first real excavations conducted in order to recognize the Romanesque choir. Its results are spectacular: all the Romanesque choir, the fruit of two building campaigns, the ambulatory and the entrance to the shaft chapels are now known. The results are stored in an archaeological basement incorrectly called crypt, this space has no religious function.
Besides graves and substructures of Romanesque and Carolingian times, are revealed building remains attributed to the Gallo-romaine9 time. Georges Chenesseau identifies immediately with the basilica built by the holy bishop Euverte, causing violent controversy that quickly exceeded the local single frame.
In 1940 a survey in the north aisle of the nave shows the north wall of the nave, thus demonstrating that the Romanesque cathedral had only one aisle.
It remained to resolve the many chapels. Excavations in 1941 before the sacristy provide the answer: the cathedral of Orleans had three chapels.
Jeanne D'Arc
There is an indirect link between the present cathedral and Joan of Arc. The national historic heroine came following the Vespers Mass May 2, 1429 during the siege of Orleans (we must remember that the building as it is today did not exist in 1429, with the exception of the chapels apse, which surround the choir at the rear). It may be mentioned also that the rue Jeanne d'Arc opened the nineteenth century arrived before the main facade (at the time we wanted to release the foremost shrine small streets and medieval buildings that the hemmed, the name did not come after).
Each year, on the evening of May 7, during Johanniques holidays, takes place on the square, the ceremony of Delivery of Etendard (which evokes that of Joan of Arc). The municipality is the guardian and send it to Catholic religious authorities for the duration of the festivities. The facade of the cathedral is then used to support a sound and light. wp