The prieurale's church of Champdieu

11 juin 2007

The prieurale's church of Champdieu

The name of Champdieu evolved/moved with the wire of the ages. One quotes initially Candicus (Roman chief), then with the XI ème century the village names Candiaco. In XIIIème century Chandiaco then Chandieu comes and to finish in XVIème century it becomes Champdieu.

Champdieu above all was built around its priory. The traces of life are however even older in this commune: one found some vestiges of the Neolithic era and others of the Roman empire.

But it is Xème century which marks especially the constitution of the village. In the year 980 pennies the reign of Conrad the Pacific, monks come to found in Champdieu a priory. The first construction, that of the crypt, are of this time but the increase was considerable with the wire of the centuries. It is estimated that the priory was completed in XIIIe century.

The priory of Champdieu was created by the will of the Abbey of Manglieu in Auvergne, it was very quickly one of the most beautiful floret. 24 establishments transfer the day at the time of the intensive swarming which had place during IXe and Xe centuries. Position advanced out of ground forézienne, this priory Benedictine placed under the term of Domnin Saint, ensured his importance by controlling of the same priories order like Bard, Sail-under-Couzan, Essertines.

Romance in its almost totality, the church of Champdieu was built for the needs for the local parochial community, the needs for the monks of the priory and also the service of the pilgrimage with Saint Domnin.

The auvergnate influence which marks the transept and the naves explains by the fact that the priory of Champdieu raised, during very a long time, of the abbey of Manglieu in Auvergne.

The oldest part is the crypt, one of most beautiful of Drill, which extends under the chorus (Xème, XIème centuries).

The church was batie in its greater part in XIème and XIIème centuries, mixing the Lyonnaises influences, even Byzantine (chorus and crypt), and the influences Auvergnates (transept, bell-tower, nave and narthex).

In XIVème century, at times of great misery of war the One hundred Year old, the church was surrounded, as well as the priory, of a belt of fortifications, whose elevated walls of the bedside and the large arcs machicolation are remainders.

At the end of XVème century was built the Vault of the Bourbons in the angle south-western and raised the bell-tower dominating the Western frontage, quite different from the Romance bell-tower of transept crossing, with the very harmonious proportions.

The building has the essential aspects of the Romanesque art which is at the same time epic, teratological and symbolic system and which knew to adapt to architectural and spiritual needs specific.

As of the entry, the building speaks to us and essence in two remarkable capitals says to us:

- on the left a small siren bifide, showing the presence of two subsoil water currents
- on the right of the sheets of acanthus being used for the spiritual progression of the pélerin
- the porch where the symbol of water is found.

All the vessel, in all its elements, is in charge of symbolic system, you will find it omnipresent in the capitals very pure, the arcs, the openings, the well of the crypt, the columns, its orientation.

You can walk on by recognizing with the passage the symbol of the Trinity in the figure three (3 openings, 3 arcs of the transept, 3 vaults with the bedside, 3 kinds of columns, etc), the known symbol of the 2 scratch drinking with the same chalice (griffon, animal semi-lion semi-eagle, terrestrial and celestial solar energies), that of the Sky (cupola), that of the Earth (square of transept crossing), that of the Force (sheets of oak), that of the Martyr (palm tree), the Solar Cycle (head of bear), the Eternal Life (interlacing).

Telamones (characters carrying the world and being turned over to reach celestial), of the sirens, of let us scratch and other Celtic interlacings with character reached us so that we can work on their symbolism.