In Brioude: the Basilica of Saint-Julien

September 25, 2024

It’s surprising to be reminded of how powerful a photograph can be and how persistently it can remain in your memory. We’re in Brioude because of another of those photos in our Baedeker tour guide that piqued my interest thirty years ago, like the one that drew me to want to see Honfleur someday. I’ve only got a faint image of that photo and no knowledge of the church it displayed, but I’ve always known that if it ever worked out I’d like to see it. So I was delighted when I discovered that Brioude was a natural stop on our journey south.

Now that we’re here though I realize that I’ve mixed up photographs in my memory and was expecting to see the church in nearby Issoire, another place that got added to the wish list long ago. I’m still holding out hope for that one, but not this year.

Let’s just save some time by noting what an extraordinary site the basilica is, one of those places that you can’t take your eyes off of as you discover one delight after another, and let the photographs tell the rest.

Some extracts from various sources to provide background:

The town's history goes back to Roman times, when "Brivas" was a small garrison guarding the crossing of the river Allier on the road from Augustonemetum (Clermont Ferrand) to Rouession (near Le Puy). The Roman garrison was located just south of the current town, at a point that is now the pretty village of Vieille Brioude – but nothing remains of the Roman site.Decorated 12th century romanesque apse of St. Julien's basilica.
The new town of Brioude grew up from the 4th century onwards at the site of the shrine to Saint Julian. Julian - Julien in French - was a Roman centurion martyred for his Christian faith, and the shrine in which are preserved to this day some of his relics, is located in the crypt of Saint Julien's basilica the great historic pilgrimage church in the middle of Brioude. The original shrine of Saint Julien dates back to the 4th or 5th century, and by the end of the sixth century it was attracting pilgrims from all over France.

The construction of the Romanesque church dates back to the first quarter of the 12th century. It was favored by the development of the town of Brioude, which became a place of pilgrimage and a stop on the routes to Santiago de Compostela, Rome, and Jerusalem. A militia was allegedly established to guard the saint's tomb, later replaced by a college of canons.

The chapter of Saint-Julian maintained its control over Brioude until the Revolution, which led to its dissolution. The church, reassigned for parish use in 1794, saw one of its bell towers demolished and the other decapitated.

Many discoveries are indeed to be made in one of the jewels of Romanesque art in Haute-Loire: polychrome stones (red sandstone, limestone sandstone, basalt, granulite, gray and pink marble) which adorn the entire nave, the capitals of the most diverse and beautifully preserved wall paintings from the 11th and 12th centuries.

The 37 stained glass windows of the basilica, signed by Father Kim En Joong, are much more contemporary since they were made in 2008.

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Suzanne GibsonWhat a fantastic place!
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2 months ago

Scott AndersonIt really is wonderful. I went back because Rachael’s phone is so much better in low light conditions than my camera, and was happy to see it again.
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2 months ago

Annette SchneiderThanks for the great pics! It appears that stone designs were inlaid? Thinking of the time, talent and labor, especially at the time of construction, is amazing!
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2 months ago

Tricia GrahamIt is amazing how some small thing makes you really what to visit a place. My mother had an old tin tray and on it was a photograph advertising train trips to Normandy in the 1920s showing the wooden spire of the church at Honfleur. I had always wanted to go there. When we did it didn’t disappoint and the window from our room looked straight at that view. I want to go again perhaps next year
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2 months ago

Scott AndersonTo Tricia GrahamThanks for sharing that, Tricia. It is interesting the way an image will cement in your memory like that. It’s wonderful when you finally come to one of these places and it’s not a disappointment. Brioude was definitely like that for me.

I’ll keep Honfluer on the wish list. Perhaps we’ll see you there next year.
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2 months ago

Scott AndersonTo Annette SchneiderYes, I think they are inlaid but I should have taken a closer photo. The floor, along with so much else of this structure is so exceptional. Its a miracle that so much of it has remained in such fine condition through all these centuries.
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2 months ago