chapelle des spiritains
MonumentHidden Treasure
chapelle des spiritains, located in Bordeaux (Gironde), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Bordeaux, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.8321, -0.5701
- Mérimée Reference
- PA33000205
The neo-Gothic jewel of Bordeaux, the Spiritans' chapel is astonishing for its cast-iron columns and painted decor evoking medieval illuminations - a unique setting for the congregation's only chapel, built in the 19th century.
History
Nestling in the urban fabric of Bordeaux, the Chapelle des Spiritains is one of those heritage nuggets that you discover with the surprise of a traveller off the beaten track. Built between 1856 and 1858, it is the only chapel built in the nineteenth century by the Congregation of the Holy Spirit - giving it an exceptional status in the history of French religious architecture. Visitors are immediately struck by the striking contrast between the Gothic rigour of the architectural envelope and the luxuriance of the interior decor. The walls are adorned with a pictorial programme of rare richness, directly inspired by medieval miniatures: scrolls of foliage, medallions of saints, gilded backgrounds and polychrome arabesques stretch from the floor to the vault, creating an almost dreamlike atmosphere, far removed from the severity often associated with provincial neo-Gothic. The deliberate use of cast iron for the structural elements - columns and supports - betrays a resolutely modern sensibility, typical of the 1850s when industrial engineering was beginning to interact with the artistic ambitions of the master builders. This combination of industrial materials and medieval decor gives the building a technical singularity that is invaluable to lovers of architectural history. The stained glass windows, created between 1860 and 1884 in a monochrome of blues, reds and golds, filter a warm light that brings the murals to life at any time of day. Photographers and watercolourists find a changing light here, never quite the same depending on the time of day and the season. For lovers of missionary and colonial history, the building is also a major architectural document, embodying the evangelical ambitions of a congregation that had a profound impact on sub-Saharan Africa and the West Indies.
Architecture
The Spiritans' chapel is part of the neo-Gothic movement that dominated French religious architecture during the Second Empire. The exterior elevation adopts the codes of medieval Gothic revisited: sharp gables, lancet windows and carefully dressed ashlar. The massing is that of a conventual chapel of modest size, more suited to the use of a religious community than to that of a large parish. The interior holds a major surprise: the columns and some of the structural supports are made of cast iron, a material emblematic of the industrial revolution of the 19th century. A daring choice for a chapel with a sacred vocation, it testifies to a pragmatic, modern approach on the part of the builders, who had no hesitation in marrying medieval aesthetics with contemporary techniques. This coexistence makes the chapel an invaluable document of the building practices of the period. The painted decorative programme is the building's other outstanding feature. Produced between 1860 and 1884, the mural decorations cover a large surface area of the walls and vaults, taking their inspiration directly from illuminations and medieval miniatures: coloured backgrounds, figures of saints, interlacing vegetation and gilding follow one another in a profuse composition. The stained glass windows, designed in the same stylistic vein, bathe the space in coloured light that enhances the pigments in the paintings. The whole creates a rare visual coherence, with each surface contributing to an iconographic narrative linked to the history of the congregation and its missions.
Related Figures
Claude Poullart des Places — fondateur de la congrégation du Saint-Esprit en 1703François-Marie-Paul Libermann — fondateur de la Congrégation du Saint-Cœur de Marie en 1841, artisan de la fusion de 1848Les artistes verriers anonymes — auteurs des vitraux réalisés entre 1860 et 1884Les peintres décorateurs — responsables du vaste programme iconographique intérieur achevé en 1884
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is chapelle des spiritains located?
chapelle des spiritains is located in Bordeaux, Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was chapelle des spiritains built?
chapelle des spiritains dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is chapelle des spiritains open to visitors?
chapelle des spiritains is currently closed to visitors.
