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Saint Foy abbey-church |
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Building stages |
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Builders monks |
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The XIth century's great expansion allowed the abbot Odolric (1031-1065) to undertake
the building of the current Roman abbey-church on the site of the Xth century basilica.
The first stages of the work ended in the construction of the chevet bottom parts, apse
and apsidiole among others, which walls are distinguished by the use of a reddish
sandstone extracted from the Combret quarries in the Dourdou valley. This material,
probably considered to be too crumbly, was abandoned under Etienne II (1065-1087) who
maintained the continuation of the work towards the West. Then the "rousset", which is
a vivid yellow limestone from the plateau of Lunel, came into general use. Its warm
tonality is in perfect harmony with the local grey schist which was used for filling in
stonework when the use of freestones was not necessary.
At the head of the monastery during twenty years (1087-1107), the famous abbot Bégon III engaged in a great building activity, thus erecting the entire gallery in the church as well as the cloister. Afterwards, no document allows us to define the precise part played by the abbot Boniface, his successor, in the first third of the XIIth century. But we probably have to attribute him the abbey-church's vaulting and the building of the western side. |
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Changes and reconstruction |
The Roman dome of the lantern tower, too audaciously thrown above the transept crossing
collapsed at an unknown date. The reinforcement work recently carried out here by the
Historical Monuments architects enabled a best knowledge of this part of the building, its
trials and changes. Thus the weakness of the corner squinches intended to ensure the change
from square to octogon may be liable for the disaster. The dome was rebuilt at the end of
the XVth century between 1460 and 1490 using gothic architectural techniques.
One century later, more precisely in 1568, the abbey-church almost collapsed following a
fire lit by Protestants. The choir's great columns being burst under the effect of the
flames, they needed to be ring with iron and embedded in a solid stonework. The front
towers were levelled as well as the central church-tower. Then the latter, afterwards
raised up by one floor and topped by a solid spire, took on its current appearance.
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Prosper Mérimée's intervention |
After 1837, it is the first Inspector of Historical Monuments Prosper Mérimée's
intervention which allowed to undertake the rehabilitation of the abbey-church neglected in
the days following the French Revolution. The sizeable report he sent to the Ministry
allowed him to obtain Saint Foy classification as well as a first subsidy. The
rehabilitation entrusted to Boissonnade, the departmental architect, who undertook the most
urgent work. In 1873, the Minister for the Arts commanded the architect Formigé a complete
restoration plan. At that point, the work to be carried out was considerable : rebuilding of
the choir's colonnade, vaults, etc... In 1881, the raising of the two front towers began,
followed by the setting up of the heavy stone pyramids which cover them since then.
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Texts from Jean-Claude FAU
Editions of Beffroi - Regional Council of Aveyron Photographs from André KUMURDJIAN Translation from Valérie FABRE |
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