11 juin 2007
Brioude
The construction of Saint-Julien de Brioude was spread out over more
than one century. Three or four project superintendents followed one
another there.
Saint Julien was a martyr of the 4è century. Several
churches followed one another thus above its tomb. The current church
would have been high since 1060 in three stages:
1060-1100: ground floor of the narthex, left low the first two spans of the nave and the northern porch
1100-1140: stage higher narthex, left high the first two spans the nave, northern porch, southern porch
about 1180: after a thirty years interruption, bedside, chorus and third span of the nave.
Second half of the 13è century: ribbed vaults.
The
church is 74,15 m long, it is longest of the churches of Auvergne. But
the nave makes only 6,50 m broad. The stones which were used for
construction are very varied; red sandstone, calcareous sandstone,
basalt, granulite, gray and pink marble.
The capitals are of six different workshops, this being due to the slowness of the construction of the church. It is to be noticed that no capital is devoted to the Bible, the Gospel or Saint Julien. One finds the bestiary of Thuret, inter alia the enchainé monkey.
The sirens and tritons have a great place, proof if it is that the earth currents are powerful and numerous. There are even in mural energies into double chains leaving the mouth of a man.
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Making way….Surprised Oh! But what makes this stone of dark color inserted in a column of clear color?
Here is that the column opposite, at the same place, proposes a hollow, and… Oh, the columns on other side of the nave also… Ahhh, let us see seeing. As by chance, we are five. Four front a column, the fifth in the medium. And it left for a beautiful ballade.
Here is a beautiful discovery that these switches! In the center of the columns, with the ceiling, a hole shows us by where to pass to rise….
Brioude 2
Outside the church, side of the northern frontage, one finds the well, aligned on an underground river. As usual, it is stopped. (I found well open and in operating state only to Notre-Dame of the spine)
Sign of four subsoil water currents in addition to that of the well,
the external capital showing a man (or a triton?) the legs finish each
one in bifide.
Even its hair forms a wave and indicate to us the number of currents.
Hold, a hole…
Inside, in the crypt, another well, stopped him too. Definitely, Auvergne is plain with the water of many manners.
In the church, extremely rare thing, a statue of the virgin lengthened
parturient, the XIV ème. She was put under glass to prevent that the
young women come to touch it by asking fertility and for easy
childbirth…. The tradition remains in various ages.
Brioude 3
To finish, some sights of the interior with notemment the
column with the men cynocephali, accompanied by Gallic with the
beautiful moustache. 
And some orbs…
