Cathedrals and Cloisters of the South of France, Volume 1

Part 1

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CATHEDRALS AND CLOISTERS OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE

"Sheer and straight the pillars rise, ... and arch after arch is lost on the shadows of the narrow vaulting of the side-aisle."]

CATHEDRALS and CLOISTERS OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE

ELISE WHITLOCK ROSE

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS

VIDA HUNT FRANCIS

IN TWO VOLUMES

VOLUME I.

G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS NEW YORK AND LONDON The Knickerbocker Press 1906

Copyright, 1906 by G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS

PREFACE.

For years the makers of this book have spent the summer time in wandering about the French country; led here by the fame of some old monument, or there by an incident of history. They have found the real, unspoiled France, often unexplored by any except the French themselves, and practically unknown to foreigners, even to the ubiquitous maker of guide-books. For weeks together they have travelled without meeting an English-speaking person. It is, therefore, not surprising that they were unable to find, in any convenient form in English, a book telling of the Cathedrals of the South which was at once accurate and complete. For the Cathedrals of that country are monuments not only of architecture and its history, but of the history of peoples, the psychology of the christianising and unifying of the barbarian and the Gallo-Roman, and many things besides, epitomised perhaps in the old words, "the struggle between the world, the flesh, and the devil." In French, works on Cathedrals are numerous and exhaustive; but either so voluminous as to be unpractical except for the specialist--as the volumes of Viollet-le-Duc,--or so technical as to make each Cathedral seem one in an endless, monotonous procession, differing from the others only in size, style, and age. This is distinctly unfair to these old churches which have personalities and idiosyncrasies as real as those of individuals. It has been the aim of the makers of this book to introduce, in photograph and in story,--not critically or exhaustively, but suggestively and accurately,--the Cathedral of the Mediterranean provinces as it exists to-day with its peculiar characteristics of architecture and history. They have described only churches which they have seen, they have verified every fact and date where such verification was possible, and have depended on local tradition only where that was all which remained to tell of the past; and they will feel abundantly repaid for travel, research, and patient exploration of towers, crypts, and archives if the leisurely traveller on pleasure bent shall find in these volumes but a hint of the interest and fascination which the glorious architecture, the history, and the unmatched climate of the Southland can awaken.

For unfailing courtesy and untiring interest, for free access to private as well as to ecclesiastical libraries, for permission to photograph and copy, for unbounding hospitality and the retelling of many an old legend, their most grateful thanks are due to the Catholic clergy, from Archbishop to Cure and Vicar. For rare old bits of information, for historical verification, and for infinite pains in accuracy of printed matter, they owe warm thanks to Mrs. Wilbur Rose, to Miss Frances Kyle, and to Mrs. William H. Shelmire, Jr. For criticism and training in the art of photographing they owe no less grateful acknowledgment to Mr. John G. Bullock and Mr. Charles R. Pancoast.

E. W. R.

V. H. F.

CONTENTS.

PAGE THE SOUTH OF FRANCE

I. THE SOUTH OF FRANCE 3

II. ARCHITECTURE IN PROVENCE, LANGUEDOC, AND GASCONY 29

PROVENCE

I. THE CATHEDRALS OF THE SEA 55 Marseilles--Toulon--Frejus--Antibes--Nice

II. CATHEDRALS OF THE HILL-TOWNS 72 Carpentras--Digne--Forcalquier--Vence--Grasse

III. RIVER-SIDE CATHEDRALS 101 Avignon--Vaison--Arles--Entrevaux--Sisteron

IV. CATHEDRALS OF THE VALLEYS 178 Orange--Cavaillon--Apt--Riez--Senez--Aix

LANGUEDOC

I. CATHEDRALS OF THE CITIES 237 Nimes--Montpellier--Beziers--Narbonne--Perpignan-- Carcassonne--Castres--Toulouse--Montauban

Illustrations

Part 2

Page RODEZ Frontispiece "Sheer and straight the pillars rise, ... and arch after arch is lost on the shadows of the narrow vaulting of the side-aisle."

"CARCASSONNE, THE INVULNERABLE" 5

"THE TOWER OF AN EARLY MARITIME CATHEDRAL"--Agde 10

"A NAVE OF THE EARLIER STYLE"--Arles 15

"A NAVE OF THE LATER STYLE"--Rodez 19

"THE DELICATE CHOIR OF SAINT-NAZAIRE"--Carcassonne 23

"A CLOISTER OF THE SOUTH"--Elne 27

"A ROMANESQUE AISLE"--Arles 31

"THE SCULPTURED PORTALS OF SAINT-TROPHIME"--Arles 33

"A GOTHIC AISLE"--Mende 35

"CORRESPONDING DIFFERENCES IN STYLE"--Carcassonne 39

"FORTIFIED GOTHIC BUILT IN BRICK"--Albi 43

"A CHURCH FORTRESS"--Maguelonne 45

"STATELY GOTHIC SPLENDOUR"--Condom 47

ENTREVAUX 52 "People gather around the mail-coach as it makes its daily halt before the drawbridge."

"THE NEW CATHEDRAL"--Marseilles 57

"THE DESECRATION OF THE LITTLE CLOISTER"--Frejus 65

"THE MILITARY OMEN--THE TOWER"--Antibes 70

"THE INTERIOR OF NOTRE-DAME-DU-BOURG"--Digne 77

"THE INTERIOR HAS NEITHER CLERESTORY NOR TRIFORIUM"--Digne 81

"A LARGE SQUARE TOWER SERVED AS A LOOKOUT"--Forcalquier 86

"A SUGGESTIVE VIEW FROM THE SIDE-AISLE"--Forcalquier 87

"THE OLD ROUND ARCH OF THE BISHOP'S PALACE"--Vence 92

"THE LOW, BROAD ARCHES, AND THE GREAT SUPPORTING PILLARS"--Vence 93

"HIGHER THAN THEM ALL STANDS THE CATHEDRAL"--Grasse 97

"THE PONT D'AVIGNON" 99

"THE INTERIOR HAS A SHALLOW, GRACEFULLY BALUSTRADED BALCONY"--Avignon 103

"THE PORCH, SO CLASSIC IN DETAIL"--AVIGNON 107 From an old print

Part 3

"NOTRE-DAME-DES-DOMS"--Avignon 111

"THE TOWER OF PHILIP THE FAIR"--Villeneuve-les-Avignon 114

"THE GREAT PALACE"--Avignon 119

"ON THE BANKS OF A PLEASANT LITTLE RIVER IS VAISON" 123

"THE RUINED CASTLE OF THE COUNTS OF TOULOUSE"--Vaison 125

"THE WHOLE APSE-END"--Vaison 127

"THE SOUTH WALL, WHICH IS CLEARLY SEEN FROM THE ROAD"--Vaison 129

"TWO BAYS OPEN TO THE GROUND"--Vaison 131

"THE GREAT PIERS AND SMALL FIRM COLUMNS"--Vaison 133

"IN THE MIDST OF THE WEALTH OF ANTIQUE RUINS"--Arles 135

"THE FACADE OF SAINT-TROPHIME"--Arles 137

"RIGHT DETAIL--THE PORTAL"--Arles 141

"LEFT DETAIL--THE PORTAL"--Arles 145

"THROUGH THE CLOISTER ARCHES"--Arles 147

"A NAVE OF GREAT AND SLENDER HEIGHT"--Arles 149

"THE BEAUTY OF THE WHOLE"--Arles 151

"THE GOTHIC WALK"--Cloister--Arles 153

"THIS INTERIOR"--Entrevaux 156

"THE ROMANESQUE WALK"--Cloister--Arles 157

"ONE OF THE THREE SMALL DRAWBRIDGES"--Entrevaux 159

"THE PORTCULLIS"--Entrevaux 160

"A FORT THAT PERCHES ON A SHARP PEAK"--Entrevaux 161

"A TRUE 'PLACE D'ARMES'"--Entrevaux 163

"THE LONG LINE OF WALLS THAT ZIGZAG DOWN THE HILLSIDE"--Entrevaux 165

"THE CHURCH TOWER STOOD OUT AGAINST THE ROCKY PEAK"--Entrevaux 169

"THE CATHEDRAL IS NEAR THE HEAVY ROUND TOWERS OF THE OUTER RAMPARTS"--Sisteron 172

"THE BRIDGE ACROSS THE DURANCE"--Sisteron 173

"ENTRANCES TO TWO NARROW STREETS"--Sisteron 176

Part 4

"IT WAS A LOW-VAULTED, SOMBRE LITTLE CLOISTER"--Cavaillon 182

"THE CATHEDRAL'S TOWER AND TURRET"--Cavaillon 187

"THE MAIN BODY OF THE CHURCH"--Apt 191

"THE VIRGIN AND SAINT ANNE--BY BENZONI"--Apt 194

"SAINT-MARTIN-DE-BROMES WITH ITS HIGH SLIM TOWER" 197

"THE FORTIFIED MONASTERY OF THE TEMPLARS"--near Greoux 199

"THE TOWER OF NOTRE-DAME-DU-SIEGE"--Riez 201

"NOTHING COULD BE MORE QUAINTLY OLD AND MODEST THAN THE BAPTISTERY"--Riez 202

"BETWEEN THE COLUMNS AN ALTAR HAS BEEN PLACED"--Baptistery, Riez 203

"THE BEAUTIFUL GRANITE COLUMNS"--Riez 207

"THE MAIL-COACH OF SENEZ" 211

"THE OPEN SQUARE"--Senez 213

"THE PALACE OF ITS PRELATES"--Senez 214

"THE CATHEDRAL"--Senez 215

"THE CATHEDRAL"--Senez 218

"TAPESTRIES BEAUTIFY THE CHOIR-WALLS"--Senez 219

"BETWEEN BRANCHES FULL OF APPLE-BLOSSOMS--THE CHURCH AS THE CURE SAW IT"--Senez 221

"THE SOUTH AISLE"--Aix 224

"THE ROMANESQUE PORTAL"--Aix 225

"THE CLOISTER"--Aix 227

"THE CATHEDRAL"--Aix 231

"AN AMPHITHEATRE WHICH RIVALS THE ART OF THE COLISEUM"--Nimes 238

"THE GENERAL EFFECT IS SOMEWHAT THAT OF A PORT-COCHERE"--Montpellier 244

"THE FINEST VIEW IS THAT OF THE APSE"--Montpellier 245

"THE CLOCK TOWER IS VERY SQUARE AND THICK"--Beziers 248

"THE QUAINT AND PRETTY FOUNTAIN"--Beziers 250

"THE DOOR OF THE CLOISTER"--Narbonne 255

"THIS IS A PLACE OF DESERTED SOLITUDE"--Narbonne 257

Part 5

"THESE FLYING-BUTTRESSES GIVE TO THE EXTERIOR ITS MOST CURIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL EFFECT"--Narbonne 261

"ALL THE OLD BUILDINGS OF THE CITY ARE OF SPANISH ORIGIN"--Perpignan 265

"THE UNFINISHED FACADE"--Perpignan 267

"THE STONY STREET OF THE HILLSIDE"--Carcassonne 269

"THE ANCIENT CROSS"--Carcassonne 272

"OFTEN TOO LITTLE TIME IS SPENT UPON THE NAVE"--Carcassonne 275

"THE CHOIR IS OF THE XIV CENTURY"--Carcassonne 279

"THE FACADE, STRAIGHT AND MASSIVE"--Carcassonne 281

"PERSPECTIVE OF THE ROMANESQUE"--Carcassonne 283

"THE NAVE OF THE XIII CENTURY IS AN AISLE-LESS CHAMBER, LOW AND BROADLY ARCHED"--Toulouse 291

"THE PRESENT CATHEDRAL IS A COMBINATION OF STYLES"--Toulouse 294

LIST OF WORKS CONSULTED.

BAYET. Precis de l'Histoire de l'Art.

BODLEY. France.

BOURG. Viviers, ses Monuments et son Histoire.

CHOISY. Histoire de l'Architecture.

COUGNY. L'Art au Moyen Age.

COOK. Old Provence.

CORROYER. L'Architecture romane.

" L'Architecture gothique.

COX. The Crusades.

DARCEL. Le Mouvement archeologique relatif au Moyen Age.

DE LAHONDES. L'Eglise Saint-Etienne, Cathedrale de Toulouse.

DEMPSTER. Maritime Alps.

DUCERE. Bayonne historique et pittoresque.

DURUY. Histoire de France.

FERREE. Articles on French Cathedrals appearing in the "Architectural Record."

GARDERE. Saint-Pierre de Condom et ses Constructeurs.

Part 6

GOULD. In Troubadour Land.

GUIZOT. Histoire de France.

" Histoire de la Civilisation en France.

HALLAM. The Middle Ages.

HARE. South-eastern France.

" South-western France.

History of Joanna of Naples, Queen of Sicily (published 1824).

HUNNEWELL. Historical Monuments of France.

JAMES. A Little Tour through France.

Le Moyen Age (avec notice par Roger-Miles).

LARNED. Churches and Castles of Mediaeval France.

LASSERRE, L'ABBE. Recherches historiques sur la Ville d'Alet et son ancien Diocese.

LECHEVALLIER CHEVIGNARD. Les Styles francais.

MACGIBBON. The Architecture of Provence and the Riviera.

MARLAVAGNE. Histoire de la Cathedrale de Rodez.

MARTIN. Histoire de France.

MASSON. Louis IX and the XIII Century.

" Francis I and the XVI Century.

MERIMEE. Etudes sur les Arts au Moyen Age.

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