Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges
Encyclopedia
Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges is a commune
in the Haute-Garonne
department in southwestern France
. It is a member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
("The Most Beautiful Villages of France") association.
, while on the way back to Rome
after a military campaign in Spain founded a Roman colony there. The goal was to defend the passage to the Aran Valley and the Iberian peninsula. The colony was named Lugdunum Convenarum and had reached around 30,000 people at its highest point. In 408 the Vandals
sacked the city and forced the peasantry to move to the citadel and in 585 the Burgundians
, led by Gunther
, entirely razed the site in the course of their pursuit of Gundoald. It would remain deserted for nearly five centuries.
In 1083 a knight related to the Counts of Toulouse
, Bertrand de l'Isle-Jourdain
, canon
of Saint Augustine in Toulouse
, was nominated bishop of Comminges
. He ordered the construction of the cathedral and of the Romanesque
cloister. The place became used by pilgrims as a stage on the route to Santiago de Compostela
.
Bertrand de l'Isle
was canonised and became known as Saint-Bertrand in the 13th century and Lugdunum Convenarum became known as Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges. The term Comminges itself comes from the Latin word "Convenae", meaning "those who came together" at Pompey's new settlement.
the village has a Romanesque basilica
as well as a Roman ruins. There is an archeological site close to the Cathedral in which it is possible to identify the remains of a Roman thermae
and of a theatre
.
The village itself is a medieval one, with several arches and vaults. It has several gates entering it, on the Cabirole Gate it is possible to read about the taxe set by Louis XIV
on fishes. Another gate, the Majou Gate, is interesting in that it is the one pilgrims used. Following the ramparts it is possible to observe the Matacan Rock from which, according to the legend, Gondowald had been executed by Gunther.
Entering the nave people will see three distinct architectural styles at the same time:
The narthex
ends by two huge pillars with a circumference of no less than 11.45m. Over the northern and southern walls one can see the Romanesque arches, the floors is made of marbles and includes some tombs and sepultures. The choir is also clearly romanesque and offers an impressive view over the entire valley.
The Gothic part is built in the Meridional Gothic
style. There is a single nave that is 55m long, 16m wide and 28m tall. Over the arrow arches there are "coat of arms" from the founding bishops. The stained glasses are impressive by their level of details, almost comparable to those of Auch
.
The stalls within the choir were commissioned by Jean de Mauléon but because of the lack of documents it is impossible to name the artist that made them. Although and by comparison with other stalls it is often considered it was the work of Nicolas Bachelier
, or rather of his school which had been using artists from France
, Spain
and Italy
. Most of the work had been done in oak and walnut tree, the choir seems cut from the rest of the church contrasting so much with the Gothic and Romanesque parts.
The sixty-seven stalls represent characters from both the Old and the New Testaments, including scenes like: temptation, envy and lust.
The former cathedral of has been listed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
as part of the World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
.
used Saint-Bertrand, and more particularly, its cathedral, as a setting for his classic tale of terror "Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book
", which can be found in the collection Ghost Stories of an Antiquary
(1904). The English composer Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
(1892–1988) wrote a piano piece inspired by James's story entitled St. Bertrand de Comminges: "He was laughing in the tower" (1941).
According to ancient Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (books Antiquities and Wars, combined information), Lugdunum Covenarum - then in the Roman province of Spain - was the place of exile of Herod Antipas, who had been the Tetrarch (ruler) of Galilee in the time of Jesus Christ. Herod and his wife Herodias were sent there under the orders of the Emperor Caligula in around AD37, and they remained there until their death about two years later. Confusion of this place with present day Lyon, then also called Lugdunum, is still frequent nowadays, though the Hispanic reference makes this geographically impossible.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Haute-Garonne
Haute-Garonne
Haute-Garonne is a department in the southwest of France named after the Garonne river. Its main city is Toulouse.-History:Haute-Garonne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Languedoc.The...
department in southwestern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is a member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France is an independent association, created in 1982, which aims to promote assets of small and picturesque French villages of quality heritage...
("The Most Beautiful Villages of France") association.
History
In 72 B.C. the Roman General PompeyPompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
, while on the way back to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
after a military campaign in Spain founded a Roman colony there. The goal was to defend the passage to the Aran Valley and the Iberian peninsula. The colony was named Lugdunum Convenarum and had reached around 30,000 people at its highest point. In 408 the Vandals
Vandals
The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. The Vandals under king Genseric entered Africa in 429 and by 439 established a kingdom which included the Roman Africa province, besides the islands of Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics....
sacked the city and forced the peasantry to move to the citadel and in 585 the Burgundians
Burgundians
The Burgundians were an East Germanic tribe which may have emigrated from mainland Scandinavia to the island of Bornholm, whose old form in Old Norse still was Burgundarholmr , and from there to mainland Europe...
, led by Gunther
Guntram
Saint Guntram was the king of Burgundy from 561 to 592. He was a son of Chlothar I and Ingunda...
, entirely razed the site in the course of their pursuit of Gundoald. It would remain deserted for nearly five centuries.
In 1083 a knight related to the Counts of Toulouse
Counts of Toulouse
The first Counts of Toulouse were the administrators of the city and its environs under the Merovingians. No succession of such royal appointees is known, though a few names survive to the present...
, Bertrand de l'Isle-Jourdain
Bertrand of Comminges
Bertrand of Comminges was Bishop of Comminges, in the diocese of Toulouse, France. It is after him that the commune of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, is named.-Early life:...
, canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of Saint Augustine in Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, was nominated bishop of Comminges
Ancient Diocese of Comminges
The former French Catholic diocese of Comminges existed at least from the sixth century, to the French Revolution. Its see was at Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, now no more than a village, in the modern department of Haute-Garonne in south-west France...
. He ordered the construction of the cathedral and of the Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
cloister. The place became used by pilgrims as a stage on the route to Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
.
Bertrand de l'Isle
Bertrand of Comminges
Bertrand of Comminges was Bishop of Comminges, in the diocese of Toulouse, France. It is after him that the commune of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, is named.-Early life:...
was canonised and became known as Saint-Bertrand in the 13th century and Lugdunum Convenarum became known as Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges. The term Comminges itself comes from the Latin word "Convenae", meaning "those who came together" at Pompey's new settlement.
Population
Sights
Aside of the former cathedralCathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
the village has a Romanesque basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
as well as a Roman ruins. There is an archeological site close to the Cathedral in which it is possible to identify the remains of a Roman thermae
Thermae
In ancient Rome, thermae and balnea were facilities for bathing...
and of a theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
.
The village itself is a medieval one, with several arches and vaults. It has several gates entering it, on the Cabirole Gate it is possible to read about the taxe set by Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
on fishes. Another gate, the Majou Gate, is interesting in that it is the one pilgrims used. Following the ramparts it is possible to observe the Matacan Rock from which, according to the legend, Gondowald had been executed by Gunther.
Former cathedral
- The Romanesque part of the 12th century.
- The Gothic part of the 14th century commissioned by Bertrand de GothPope Clement VPope Clement V, born Raymond Bertrand de Got was Pope from 1305 to his death...
. - And the Renaissance part as well as the organ from the sixteenth century.
The narthex
Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
ends by two huge pillars with a circumference of no less than 11.45m. Over the northern and southern walls one can see the Romanesque arches, the floors is made of marbles and includes some tombs and sepultures. The choir is also clearly romanesque and offers an impressive view over the entire valley.
The Gothic part is built in the Meridional Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style. There is a single nave that is 55m long, 16m wide and 28m tall. Over the arrow arches there are "coat of arms" from the founding bishops. The stained glasses are impressive by their level of details, almost comparable to those of Auch
Auch
Auch is a commune in southwestern France. Located in the region of Midi-Pyrénées, it is the capital of the Gers department. Auch is the historical capital of Gascony.-The Ausci:...
.
The stalls within the choir were commissioned by Jean de Mauléon but because of the lack of documents it is impossible to name the artist that made them. Although and by comparison with other stalls it is often considered it was the work of Nicolas Bachelier
Nicolas Bachelier
Nicolas Bachelier was a French surveyor, architect, and mason.In 1539, Bachelier and his colleague Arnaud Casanove, who described themselves as expert levelers, proposed a survey for a canal from Toulouse to Carcassonne to Francis I. Francis I had previously discussed the possibility of such a...
, or rather of his school which had been using artists from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Most of the work had been done in oak and walnut tree, the choir seems cut from the rest of the church contrasting so much with the Gothic and Romanesque parts.
The sixty-seven stalls represent characters from both the Old and the New Testaments, including scenes like: temptation, envy and lust.
The former cathedral of has been listed as a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
as part of the World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
In 1998, several sites in France were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the description: Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France....
.
Cultural references
The mediaeval scholar and ghost story writer M. R. JamesM. R. James
Montague Rhodes James, OM, MA, , who used the publication name M. R. James, was an English mediaeval scholar and provost of King's College, Cambridge and of Eton College . He is best remembered for his ghost stories, which are regarded as among the best in the genre...
used Saint-Bertrand, and more particularly, its cathedral, as a setting for his classic tale of terror "Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book
Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book
"Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book" is the first story in the first collection of ghost stories published by M. R. James, Ghost Stories of an Antiquary...
", which can be found in the collection Ghost Stories of an Antiquary
Ghost Stories of an Antiquary
Ghost Stories of an Antiquary is the title of M. R. James' first collection of ghost stories, published in 1904...
(1904). The English composer Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji was an English composer, music critic, pianist, and writer.-Biography:...
(1892–1988) wrote a piano piece inspired by James's story entitled St. Bertrand de Comminges: "He was laughing in the tower" (1941).
According to ancient Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (books Antiquities and Wars, combined information), Lugdunum Covenarum - then in the Roman province of Spain - was the place of exile of Herod Antipas, who had been the Tetrarch (ruler) of Galilee in the time of Jesus Christ. Herod and his wife Herodias were sent there under the orders of the Emperor Caligula in around AD37, and they remained there until their death about two years later. Confusion of this place with present day Lyon, then also called Lugdunum, is still frequent nowadays, though the Hispanic reference makes this geographically impossible.