La collégiale Saint-Étienne de Neuvy-Saint-Sépulchre (Indre)
The collegiate church of Saint-Étienne at Neuvy-Saint-Sépulchre (Department of the Indre, France) is one of the few surviving rotundas built as a copy of the Holy-Sepulcre of Jerusalem during the mid 11th century. Many theories have been advanced concerning the history and the dating of this unusual...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | fra |
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Fédération pour l'Edition de la Revue Archéologique du Centre de la France
2005-03-01
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| Series: | Revue Archéologique du Centre de la France |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/racf/186 |
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| Summary: | The collegiate church of Saint-Étienne at Neuvy-Saint-Sépulchre (Department of the Indre, France) is one of the few surviving rotundas built as a copy of the Holy-Sepulcre of Jerusalem during the mid 11th century. Many theories have been advanced concerning the history and the dating of this unusual monument. A recent building survey, carried out during restoration work, has managed to clarify the main phases of its evolution. The rotunda, with eleven central pillars placed around the reliquary monument, was added onto the west end of an existing church during the 1040’s. The two upper stories of the central cage, however, were not finished until the early 12th century. During the second half of the 12th century, the church was extensively modified by the replacement of the original tunnel vaults by three bays of ribbed vaulting. The hypothetical apse end was demolished and replaced by a simple chevet, shortening the aisles and the nave. The site was used as a refuge during the Hundred Years War which caused some damage, particularly to the north aisle. Despite the clear interruptions in the construction which have led to an irregular looking building, the study has shown that the complex is actually the result of the pursuit of a coherent and original architectural project aimed at creating a faithful copy of the church of the Holy-Sepulcre of Jerusalem. |
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| ISSN: | 0220-6617 1951-6207 |