Berze-la-Ville - Monastic chapel , located near Cluny (6 kilometers southeast of the abbey and 11 kilometers northwest of Macon), was founded in the 11th century.
| Sight | |
| Berze La Ville | |
|---|---|
| fr. Chapelle des moines de berzé-la-ville | |
 | |
| A country |  France |
| Location | Burgundy - Franche-Comté |
| Type of building | Chapel |
| Architectural style | |
Content
- 1 History
- 2 Architecture
- 3 Murals
- 4 References
History
Initially, it belonged to the Clunian nun recluses. In 1100, Abbot Cluny received Berse at his disposal and ordered the construction of a new temple here, after the old one was destroyed in a severe hurricane. The adjacent building, called the “Monastic Castle”, was erected in the 16th century. During the Revolution, the persecuted monks left here, and the church was sold and used as a utility room by local farmers.
In 1887, a curator of the Berze parish, Philibert Jolive discovered traces of fresco paintings under a thick layer of paint covering the walls. After the restoration, the chapel revealed in all its glory its wealth - frescoes of the first half of the 12th century, made by Italian masters.
Architecture
The chapel contains two floors: the lower one, covered with an arched vault and the upper one, formed by a nave with choirs, covered with a cylindrical vault, and the apse , covered with a spherical vault, with three large windows that have semicircular endings.
Murals
The painting of the chapel demonstrates a pronounced Byzantine influence (hieratic poses, the elegance of the lines of the picture), as well as the influence of German art from the Otton era (elements of iconography and coloristic decisions). In the central composition - Christ in Glory with the hand of the Lord supporting his crown, and the twelve apostles, of which only six can be identified by their attributes (on the left is Paul, in whose hands are clear, and Peter, standing on the right has keys). Below, at the feet of the apostles - two bishops (on the right) and two deacons (on the left) - Saints Vincent and Lawrence, especially revered in this region. On the lower floor, under the capitals - the image of six maidens in rich clothes; on two of these figures you can still read the inscriptions identifying them: Saint Agatha and the Consortium. Under them, opposite the blind arches, two scenes are depicted: St. Vincent on the tips of the guns of two soldiers and a scene from the life of St. Basil. Images of the nine holy martyrs are placed on the inner frieze, not fully preserved. The safety of the frescoes was facilitated by the use of dyes such as lapis lazuli, ocher and redfish.