Brioude - Saint-Julien

The Basilica Saint-Julien in Brioude was a collegiate church constructed between 1060 - 1200. The architectoral structure is influenced by great romanesque churches like "Notre-Dame-Du-Port" in Clermont-Ferrand (70kms north) or "Saint-Austremoine" in Issoire (30kms north), planned and constructed within the same century. Three or four very skilled architects worked here over the century, all witrh a different touch. So Saint-Julien is really special, as it differs from the other great churches of the Auvergne.

Brioude was a center of pilgrimage very early, as already within the 4th century a "martyrion" existed over the grave of St. Julien. This building was replaced by an early basilica, financed by Victorius, a "comes" (count), installed by the Visigothic king Eurich after he had seized the Auvergne. Gregory of Tours (538-594 visited and described it, when he about a pilgrimage to Saint-Julien undertaken yearly from Avernis (= Clermont-Ferrand) to Brioude. Within the 10th century William I, Duke of Aquitaine, (aka "Guillaume Le Pieux" - "William the Pious") funded the building of a larger church here. He got buried in this church in 917. Around 1060, works on the church still seen today started with the narthex. It took about 140 years, to complete it - and was a stopover at that time for many pilgrims to Santiago, only two days (60kms) away from Le Puy (Via Podensis).

There are about 125 capitals and carvings inside Saint-Julien and they all differ in artistic style and quality. Bernard Craplet has found six (!) different workshops, what is not that surprising taking in account that it took more than a century to finish this building. None of the capitals of the nave depicts a biblical theme.


The same "ape/man/rope" capital as seen before. It differs from all the other seen so far within the Auvergne (Droiturier, Besse, Issoire, Thuret, Saint-Nectaire, Clermont-Ferrand, Mozac...). Not the ape on the rope, called "singe cordé" in French, is so much different, but everything around adds new spice.

Now seen from the other side the ape is the very left. Next to him that decorative tree, growing from two roots, further right is the "owner" of the ape, holding the rope.

Beside him to the right is a small pillar, having a base and a carved capital. On this capital stands a small - - griffon. Is this a griffon? This is a small four legged animal, that could be a cat or small lion, but near the shoulder it does have a wing.
Today, we do know, that griffons are mythical animals, but did the audience know that in 1120? Probably not. Could it be that this depicts a "faked griffon", that was shown? Together with an ape and a crippled person? Persons working in shopfitting ("store design"), call this kind of pillars "displays" today. So the griffon actually is placed on a display.
I am still collecting evidence to prove the existence of the medieval "entertaining industry", having toured around the country. This for sure is one of the many bits and pieces.