The Cathedral Chapter Manuscripts the Treasure Rooms of The
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Two rooms The Cathedral chapter of different origin manuscripts Opened in 1997 and 2010 respec- were deposited in the recesses in this From the year 600 onwards, Albi tively, two rooms at the Cathedral room in modern times. In the 16th and Cathedral had a scriptorium, where contain displays of religious objects. 17th centuries, the liturgical vessels manuscripts were produced and Although there are no texts proving were kept in chests in the first room copied to enrich the library. It is the- the existence of a treasure, it seems of what is now the sacristy. The first refore one of the earliest documented likely that the first room has long treasure room became a Mary Chapel in the Toulouse area. Working conti- been home to the precious objects in the 19th C. The second room was at nuously until the mid-Middle Ages, belonging to the Cathedral chapter, one time the sexton’s lodging. All the this scriptorium was in its heyday in as is suggested by the recesses carved objects, most of which are protected the 11th century, under the guidance into the masonry. Not all these objects as « Historic Monuments », are still of Archdeacon Sicard: the style deve- had a monetary value, the important consecrated for use in worship and loped at that time by the monastic documents, for example, recording can be used for the liturgy if members scribes and illuminators was very the rights of the Cathedral chapter, of the clergy ask for them. specific and extremely refined. The Cathedral chapter library survived Medieval room until the French Revolution. In 1789, the collections were confiscated by the State and formed the basis of a © IRHT / Pascal Bradignans. newly created « municipal library ». Manuscript of the Mappa mundi of Albi (ms. 29) : a collection of extracts from grammar, geo- Today, thirty-five manuscripts from graphy and history books, pastoral texts the Cathedral are kept in the Pierre- and biblical explanations that were used Amalric Media Library in Albi. Toulouse. Printing: Groupe Reprint Toulouse. : Christelle Bouvet for teaching, this work contains one of the oldest maps showing the world as a whole and not in an abstract way. Dating from the 8th century, the map shows a vision of the world centred on the Mediterranean. An exceptional treasure, it was inscribed on the Région Occitanie, 1998. - Inventory Peiré of the episcopal crosier (1868), © Jean-François Vignette (1868), © Hervé Cluzeaud. Modern room UNESCO Memory of the World Register in design Graphic Traducta.fr. Translation: October 2015, which lists the most precious items of documentary heritage. Episcopal crosier The treasure rooms TREASURE of cathedral of the Cathedral NIO M O UN M D RI T IA A L • P • W L O A I of Saint Cecilia in Albi R D L D N H O E M R I E T IN AG O E • PATRIM SITUATED ABOVE THE SACRISTY, United Nations Episcopal city of Albi Educational, Included in the picture : Cover - DRAC. Peiré Jean-François THE TREASURE ROOMS ARE OPEN Scientific and World Heritage List FROM 9 AM TO 6 PM. Cultural Organization in 2010 Drac Occitanie, 2017 Photography Writing: Jocelyne Deschaux, Valérie Gaudard, Virginie Massol-Kremer. Massol-Kremer. Virginie Gaudard, Valérie Deschaux, Writing: Jocelyne © Medieval room | The setting for the Cathedral’s objects Modern room | Precious objects from elsewhere Origin of the objects Virgin and child (12th C.): polychrome Reliquary bust of a female saint, Cathedrals may, temporarily or perma- Processional cross Crowned saint (end of the 15th C.): wood, the oldest statue kept in the arm reliquary of St. Martianne nently in some cases, house objects from made of rock crystal polychrome stone, in the Burgundian Of diverse origin, the objects displayed Cathedral, known as the Black Virgin, (end of the 17th C.): these serial and silver (16th C.): style, it may come from the Cathedral’s in the first room all come from the Cathe- shows traces of fire, which is thought reliquaries in polychrome wood, places where the conditions of their with a reliquary choir screen. On loan from the Tou- dral and therefore belong to the State. to have melted away the metal plates gilded or silvered, used to be conservation are either unsatisfactory (13th C.) in cham- louse-Lautrec Museum. The sculptures, which would probably that would have covered the piece. presented for veneration in the or insecure. In other cases, it is to better plevé enamel in the Cathedral. St. Martianne is a saint Cross of Cross of Cadalen Limousin style, it bears have been placed on the altars, illustrate local to Albi who is represented in the choir display them. Labessière-Candeil witness to the wealth past layouts of the Cathedral that have Reliquary of St. Ursula (14th C.): of the Cathedral. The objects on display in this second of the Cistercian Abbey of Labessière-Candeil, polychrome wood, it is in the one of the first abbeys in the Albi region, now disappeared. Other objects, such common shape of a canopy and room come from different churches in the diocese, mainly Saint Salvi Church in Albi. founded in the middle of the 12th century as the silverware, have been replaced shows the young martyr princess Worshipping angel (17th C.): and demolished during the Revolution. The over the centuries and are now used for who refused to abjure her Christian these expressive statuettes in Cadalen cross is contemporary with the Labes- faith by marrying a pagan prince, protecting, like gilded and painted wood used to sière-Candeil cross. worship only very occasionally or not at a Virgin of Misericord, four of her eleven thousand be placed on either side of an altar. Liturgical vestments: to preserve all. Most of the pictures were donated martyred virgin followers under her long cape. the fragile fabrics, the liturgical to the Cathedral. Finally, this room also vestments from the Cathedral’s Censer (18th C.): made of silver-plated Christ giving the keys to contains pieces found in old excavations. vestment chest that are no longer bronze, 16th century censers have a Polyptych of the Virgin St. Peter (1628): this oil on used are presented on a rotating Gothic window decoration sometimes (14th C.): unlike the other canvas signed by Jacques basis in the large display cabinet. topped by a fleur-de-lis (such as the Chronological presentation medieval works on display, Blanchard, Painter to the Castelnau-de-Montmiral censer). The most of these large panels King, known as the « French The Cathedral possesses few medieval elongated shape of the Cahuzac-sur- of polychrome and gilded Titian », shows as an intimate scene the giving Portrait of Gregory XV: this por- Vère censer, made of gilded copper, objects, many of them having been des- wood were donated to the of power to the First Vicar of Christ. trait is part of a series of eight oils indicates that it was made in the middle of the troyed during the Revolution. Cathedral at the end of the 19th century by the on wood (17th C.) depicting a 18th century and is of Italian inspiration. The family of a collector from Albi and a last one number of Popes and Mgr d’El- Painted by Flemish painter Van Limbos, this Documented as early as the 12th century, Episcopal crosier (1868): gilded group of items displayed shows the changes in was purchased by the State in 2000. Dated by bène, Bishop of Albi from 1588 to style from the 16th to the 18th century. picture showing the Holy Family with St. Anne the relic of the true cross was kept in a an inscription to 1345, this work in the Sienese and enamelled bronze, designed 1608, which were formerly kept in the sacristy and the infant St. John, was acquired by the style, once housed in a church in Lavagnola, by architect Viollet-le-Duc and of Saint Salvi Church. State in 2012. It is a painted wood panel com- reliquary in the form of a gilded silver cross made by Parisian goldsmith Pous- decorated with crystal and gemstones and Liguria, depicts scenes from the Life of the Virgin Woman’s head: polychrome white missioned by Anne Regin, nephew of Cardinal and the Passion of Christ on a gold background sièlgue-Rusand, Mgr Lyonnet’s stone, the three heads were kept in Antoine Duprat. Appointed bishop in 1528, trimmed with pendants. All that remain that gives them an immaterial character. crosier was originally made for Tabernacle (17th C.): polychrome the sacristy at Saint Salvi Church. Duprat never resided in Albi and Anne Regin are descriptions and representations (in the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. and gilded wood, made in 1612 One was wearing a wimple and exercised his uncle’s duties locally. Beautifully by Georges Hugonnet, master car- Cathedral in the Chapel of the Holy Cross). panelled veil in the style typical of the second painted, this work borrows from the style of The modern age. The Council of Trent, penter of the town of Albi, and half of the 15th C. Raphael. which ended in 1563, reinforced the vene- Reliquary of St. Jean Hourde, a painter of Belgian Cecilia (1887): origin working in Albi, for the Shrine, glove plaques: found in ration of relics. On the episcopal visit by enamelled Chapel of Saint Mary in Castelnau-de-Lévis. Virgin of Pity: polychrome a bishop’s tomb underneath the Mgr Le Goux de la Berchère in 1698, ins- bronze, made On loan from the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum. limestone, from Saint slabs in the choir in 1893. The tructions were given by the bishop to place by the Popes’ Salvi Church, this is a fine silverware presented is evidence goldsmith Pous- relics in individual reliquaries.