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The two major capitals in the crypt of Saint-Bénigne at Dijon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 May 2009

Rita Wood
Rita Wood
Affiliation:
Rita Wood, 25 St Andrewgate, York YO1 7BR, UK. E-mail: isarita2003@yahoo.co.uk
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Abstract

The three-storey rotunda at Dijon, built by William of Volpiano and consecrated in 1018, has been reduced to its crypt, but an impressive pair of capitals survive adjacent to the burial place of St Bénigne. In modern times these capitals have repeatedly been described as full of monsters, and their significance for Romanesque sculpture has consequently been neglected. Enough remains of their dense, three-dimensional sculpture for them to be identified as representing, in fact, a lesson commonly read in masses for the dead. Numerous saints and martyrs were marked by burials in the crypt or by altars in the rotunda. All Saints’ Day was celebrated on 1 November, so that the main feast day of St Bénigne was transferred to 2 November. About 998, the commemoration of All Souls, also on 2 November, had been introduced by Odilo, Abbot of Cluny, and is likely to have been adopted by Abbot William. The text from 1 Thessalonians suggests the imaginative use of the rotunda’s vertical dimension, at this particular season and others.

Résumé

La rotonde à trois étages de Dijon, construite par Guillaume de Volpiano et consacrée en 1018, a été réduite à sa crypte, mais une impressionnante paire de chapiteaux, adjacents à la sépulture de St Bénigne, reste encore. Aux temps modernes, ces chapiteaux ont maintes fois été décrits comme fourmillant de monstres et leur importance dans le contexte de la sculpture romane a été par conséquent négligée. Il reste suffisamment de vestiges de leur dense sculpture tridimensionnelle pour permettre d’identifier ce qu’ils représentent, en fait une leçon souvent lue lors de messes pour les morts. De nombreux saints et martyrs étaient marquésdes sépultures dans la crypte ou par des autels dans la rotonde. La Toussaint était célébrée le 1er novembre, et la fête principale de S. Bénigne fut donc transférée au 2 novembre. Vers 998, la fête des Morts, également le 2 novembre, avait été introduite par Odilo, abbé de Cluny, et il est probable qu’elle avait été adoptée par l’abbé Guillaume. Le texte de 1 Thessaloniciens suggère l’utilisation inventive de la dimension verticale de la rotonde, à cette saison en particulier ainsi qu’à d’autres.

Zusammenfassung

Die dreistöckige chorscheitelrotunde in dijon, erbaut von wilhelm von volpiano und eingeweiht im jahr 1018 ist bis auf sein kryptengeschoss verfallen. Zwei imponierende kapitellsäulen sind in der benachbarten grabstätte des hl. Benignus erhalten. In der neuzeit wurden diese säulen häufig mit monstern in verbindung gebracht, und dadurch wurde deren bedeutung für die romanische baukunst vernachlässigt. Es ist genug von der dichten, dreidimensionalen skulptur erhalten, das eine inschrift als lehrtext interpretiert werden kann, der üblicherweise in totenmessen gelesen wurde. Vielen heiligen und märtyrern wurde durch gräber in der krypta oder durch altare in der rotunda gedacht. Allerheiligen wurde am 1. November gefeiert, so daß das fest des hl. Benignus auf den 2. November verlegt wurde. Im jahr 998 wurde der allerseelentag, auch der 2. November, durch odilo, abt von cluny, eingeführt und warscheinlich von wilhelm übernommen. Der text der 1 thessalonier deutete auf einen einfallsreichen gebrauch der vertikalen dimension der rotunda in dieser und anderen jahreszeiten hin.

Type
Original Article
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 89 , September 2009 , pp. 215 - 239
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 2009

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