Narbonne paleochretienne. Les edifices du culte
Institution:
Université Marc Bloch (Strasbourg) (1971-2008)Disciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
The book deals with the christian origins of narbonne, through the knowledge of the cult monuments that have left material marks on the ground, or trough the engraved monuments kept in the museums of the town. It first studies the martyrium of the first bishop, paul, who evangelized the city in the course of the third century, and its shows the development of the cult that was organized around his tomb, as soon as the end of the fourth century. The difficult question of the situation of the fourth century cathedral is opened by the exam of a basilica with quadrangular chevet and of its baptistry in crypt. The architectural features of the monument particularly revealed syrian influences. A new reading of the dedicarory inscription of bishop rusticus, the study of the written documents about the ancient cathedral and the exam of architectural traces still existing, allow to know the ecclesia built inside the wall, in the fifth century. Thanks to the litterary sources and to the epigraphic monuments, the churches of suburbium can be situated. Saint marcel and saturnin basilica witnesses, with its reliquary, the ancientness of the worship for african martyrs. Saint felix basilica was stood up to honor the relics of the martyr of gerone. At the time of wisigoths it be came the cathedral for arians. The altar of minerve which comes from it, probably gives the opportunity to define one of the most ancient typologies of mensae in the septimano-catalan country. A last monument is analysed. It is a little monument which faithfully reproduces jesus'tomb after the improvements done at the time of constantin. So, through the monuments of cult it built during the first centuries, we can see the various impacts on the christian community of narbonne.
Abstract FR:
L'ouvrage traite des origines chretiennes de narbonne, par la connaissance des edifices du culte qui ont laisse des traces materielles sur le sol, ou a travers les monuments graves conserves dans les musees de la ville. Il etudie d'abord le martyrium du premier eveque qui evangelisa la cite dans le cours du iiie siecle, paul, et il montre le developpement du culte qui s'instaura autour de son tombeau des la fin du ive siecle. La question delicate de l'implantation de la cathedrale du ive siecle est ouverte par l'examen d'une basilique a chevet quadrangulaire et de son baptistere en crypte. Les caracteristiques architecturales du monument revelent des influences syriennes. La relecture de l'inscription dedicatoire de l'eveque rusticus, l'etude des documents ecrits relatifs a l'ancienne cathedrale et l' examen des vestiges archeologiques encore en place, permettent de mieux connaitre la cathedrale edifiee a l'interieur des murs, au ve siecle. Grace aux sources litteraires et aux monuments epigraphiques, on situe les eglises du suburbium. La basilique des saints marcel et saturnin revele l'antiquite du culte des martyrs africains. La basilique saint-felix fut erigee pour honorer les reliques du martyr de gerone. Au temps des wisigoths, elle devint la cathedrale des ariens. L'autel de minerve qui en provient sans doute donne l'occasion de definir l'une des plus anciennes typologies de mensae dans la region septimano-catalane. Un dernier monument est analyse, il s'agit d'un edicule qui reproduit fidelement le tombeau de jesus apres les amenagements qu'il recut au temps de constantin. Ainsi, a travers les edifices du culte qu'elle a dresses, durant les premiers siecles, on percoit les diverses influences qui se sont exercees sur la communaute chretienne de narbonne.