11 juin 2007
Colombier, the fountain of Saint- Patrocle and the Prieurale's church
The
construction of the church prieurale began in XIème century, of the
transformations were carried out in XIIème and XIIIème centuries in
particular. The very beautiful bell-tower raised on the transept
crossing is of XIIème, of Romance style. The gate of entry and the
beginning of the Gothic period. Near the church runs the Saint-Patrocle
fountain, of the name of the saint whose remainders always rest in the
church.
Romance
building, composed of a nave of five spans, flanked sides, of a
projecting transept, a absidiole opening on each arm. The chorus with
flat bedside dates from XVème century, the sacristy, which prolongs it,
is XIXème century. The current frontage was built at the beginning of
the Gothic period.
In
addition to the church, the devotion with Patrocle saint is centered on
the fountain. This water, always fresh, is famous to have therapeutic
virtues. The legend reports that this one lacking water when it built
the monastery, it launched a hammer of such force that it fell down to
nearly 300 meters by creating the source. Others call the place “the
hammer of Thor”. However, it is Sucellus, the Gallic god, who would
have been placed best: “Sucellus, god with the mallet and the cauldron,
guard of fruitfulness, it makes spout out the woodland sources by
striking the ground of its mass. It was compared to Sylvain or Vulcan.
One represents it in the shape of an old man or a man of ripe age, vêtu
with Gallic of a tunic with hood, braies and boots, and carrying a
mallet and sometimes a cauldron, often accompanied by a dog. It is
often accompanied by the Nantosvelta goddess. Contrary to the other
Gallic gods, who have their equivalent in Ireland and in Wales, one
finds it only in Gaule. ”
The source is famous for the cure of the
skin diseases and so that the girls to be married find a partner. It is
enough for celà that they soak twice their foot right in the last
basin. A procession with the fountain takes place last Sunday of July.
The pélerinage with Saint Patrocle, survival probable of a Gallic
worship, ceased only in 1970.
Born
in the area from Bourges, Patrocle intruisit very quickly in sciences,
the letters crowned and profane. The bishop of Bourges ordered it
deacon at the twenty-five years age, then archdeacon. One regarded it
as one of the most cultivated holiest men and of his time.
Become
the tutor of wire of Clodomir, king of Frank, it had been able to live
at the court, to be one of the advisers of the kingdom. The honors did
not try it, a sumptuous existence was not appropriate for its
character. The secular clergy appeared to him even too much attached to
the wordly goods. It had the burning desire to be devoted only to God
and it was withdrawn in loneliness, there to live, request, meditate.
It
stopped in Neris where it built a house, an oratory and a school. The
cures which it operated were worth him the reputation of holiness.
Seeking loneliness, it left with its spade and its axe to two edges,
and settled as a hermit with That, in the forest. Ten years later, it
set out again for Colombier where it melted a monastery. The monastery
was sold to the priory of Souvigny to XIème century.
We
thus have there a saint carrying the francisque one, or the expensive
hammer with the Scandinavian gods, a miraculous source, i.e. mud-laden
water, the hermitage in the forest, the hind partner of the saint… Here
are many ingredients leaving paraitre a bottom of druidism. When with
the shape of the fountain itself, with its three basins, round,
rectangular square and, us y plunged here. The waves of form of the
basins make the remainder.
One can see, in the first basin of round form, the water which bubbles.
the
place was christianized, but of very beautiful trees still surround
this miraculous fountain which flows in the field downwards.
With the Saint-Patrocle fountain, christianization of an old pagan
worship, probably with Dispater, L one thus finds the remainders
preserved well of collectings Gallo-Roman of the source.
The collecting of the source is a Gallic well of beams, as in Voingt.
http://www.cc-commentry.fr/tour.asp?IdPage=4668
http://www.coldev.org/sanctuaires/index.php?r=cons&sr=cons&id=216