Autun cathedral
Excerpts from 'The Cathedrals of Southern France' by T Francis Bumpus, 1895
The cathedral of Autun, situated in that most beautiful district of Western Burgundy known as the Morvan, bears, at a distance, with its graceful central spire and nave chapels, a Pointed, not a Romanesque appearance. But when we come to study its detail we shall find that it shows in its main portions a close imitation of the neighbouring Roman remains, particularly in the employment of their fluted pilaster which forms so graceful a feature in the Portes d'Arroux and Saint-André – two Roman gates of the fourth or fifth century, and in remarkably good state of preservation.
Like many churches in this part of France the cathedral of Autun is dedicated to Saint Lazare, the first bishop of Marseilles. Until early in the twelfth century, when it was entirely rebuilt, Autun Cathedral had for its patron Saint Nazaire – an abbot of Lerins, near Cannes, in the fifth century, and said to have been a disciple of Saint Honoratus, afterwards bishop of Arles. It is almost needless to say that the legend of Lazarus having been first bishop of Marseilles has nothing but the grossest credulity for its support. The cult, however, grew, and has had its influence on the Gallican church. Lazarus, Mary and Martha, the legend runs, came to Marseilles, driven from the Holy Land by the persecution of the Jews. Martha was buried at Tarascon, Mary at Vezelay, and Lazarus at Autun. Thus it came about that on the rebuilding of the old basilica in the twelfth century, it was thought that the bones of Lazarus must be somewhere in its precincts, whereupon it was rededicated.
And here, affixed to the central pillar of the noble Romanesque portal forming the entrance to the cathedral through the narthex, may be seen the three effigies of Lazarus (vested in pontificalibus), Martha and Mary.
This narthex is a magnificent, open, western porch, two bays deep, and divided into a nave and aisles corresponding with the three lateral portions of the church. The central division is covered with a Pointed barrel roof and opens to its aisles by very plain pointed arches on attached shafts with elongated capitals, whose style of ornamentation would indicate that this narthex was the latest addition to this Burgundian Romanesque cathedral. It was in all probability completed about 1178. Rising above the first bay of either aisle, which is vaulted quadripartitely with ribs, and flanking an upper storey, is a square tower culminating in a low four-sided spire.
Within each division of the narthex is a flight of steps rendered necessary by the slope of the ground from east to west, on which the cathedral is built, and contributing not a little towards the general impressiveness of this dignified approach to the nave.
The doorway at the summit of the central flight of stairs is a superb specimen of mid twelfth century Romanesque. Some of its features, remarkably the tripled shafts, from which the elaborately-moulded shafts spring, evince a very strong Byzantine feeling, like most southern French work of this period; but in the fluted pilasters which carry the lintel there is strong evidence of that influence exercised by the remains of Classical antiquity which shows itself even more distinctly on certain details in the interior of the church.
The composition of the sculpture within the tympanum of this portal is grand but wild. As was customary, this space is filled with a representation of the Last Judgment, into which are introduced several devils of colossal proportions and of fearful aspect, who are seizing and tormenting the figures of the condemned. An equally exaggerated figure of Saint Michael weighs a soul and protects it against the combined efforts of two or these demons, who endeavour to press close to the side of the archangel. These are to the left hand of Our Saviour, who is seated in the aureole with both arms extended. To His right are the blessed. A row of small figures, in attitudes corresponding with the two divisions above, form a frieze in the lintel, and deserve attention for the varied expressions which the sculptor has thrown into them.
However the earliest Romanesque may have originated in barbarous and unskilful imitations of Roman architecture, the later Romanesque, when it showed an inclination to imitate, as in the nave, transepts and choir of Autun Cathedral, which were in progress between 1120 and 1150, was the very reverse of barbarous. Indeed we remark this in places where the existence of Roman remains has influenced the architecture of the twelfth century. At Autun, the interior of the cathedral, with its fluted pilasters and its triforium arcade of round arches separated by small pilasters, likewise fluted, all evidently adopted from Classical models, may be easily compared with the Roman Porte d'Arroux; and the comparison will not be found disadvantageous to the later work. It would be difficult to point to an interior of its size more impressive in its general effect, or more pleasing in its general arrangement and proportions; and the deviation from the Roman type, such as the pointing of the pier-arches, the barrel roofs, and the composition of the vaulting pilasters, show no ordinary degree of thought.
Photos of Autun by Adrian Dimulescu on Flickr
