Feature: A Guide 2 the Abbey at Saint Jouin de Marnes

Description:

Just over the north Vienne border, inside the department of Deux Sevres is the small town of St Jouin de Marnes. It is not a large sprawling or imposing town. In fact in 2006 it registered just over 600 inhabitants. But for the visitor to the region this small town holds a surprise.

The Abbey church of St-Jouin-de-Marnes is an awesome sight to encounter, high on a ridge at the edge of the town, overlooking the nearby plains and dominating the Valley of the Dive. It is even more splendid at night, when on the road from Moncontour or Marnes you can see it lit up in all its glory, like a guiding light for passing pilgrims.

 

The church however, could be said to have been strategically placed to the advantage of those who needed protection. Just like the neighbouring town of Moncontour with its XIth century donjon, both town and church of Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes would have been witness in the distant past, to many battles. These would have included the Hundred Years War between the English and the French, and the war between Catholics and Protestants. A great number of castles were built during this period, but far more churches were erected, perhaps in order to help a religious and superstitious people cope with life. When looking at the church however, one can see the deliberate attempt to provide defence in the form of a fortification built onto the side.

 

The site of the church has been a place of prayer since 342 AD when a community was founded there by the hermit Jovinus. At that time the town was called Ension, which had previously been a Roman camp. By the Xth century the town changed its name to Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes in honour of its founder. The later abbey church was started in 1095 and completed in 1130, with additions made during the following centuries.

 

The church is a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture - a style produced in Medieval Europe usually up to the XIIth century, after which more Gothic aspects began to take over. Romanesque architecture tends to emphasise certain characteristics for which the church at Saint-Jouin-de-Marne is famous however because it continued to be developed up to the XVth century other styles can be observed alongside.

 

Romanesque architecture is impressive and is well known for its solid walls, beautiful columns, arches, vaults, towers, arcading and decoration, both inside and out. Like most Romanesque churches, that of Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes is characterised by the massive thickness of its walls produced from the local stone - tofu.

 

Generally a symmetrical plan can be found and in the case of this church we must not forget the beautiful two storied, square bell-tower.

 

The main Romanesque style porch, which is beautiful in itself, is framed by two side doors. Sounds simple and plain? Not if you study the visage in front of you! You will find that each door is flanked by small columns which are topped by semi circular arches. Larger columns support the sides of the church which are then topped by small towers, not unlike minarets. Columns which are an important feature within Romanesque architecture, can be plain or stylised, carved or painted.

 

The importance of semi-circular arching in Romanesque architecture can be seen over both doors and windows, both internally and externally. This may be decorated, as is the case of the central porch and windows at this abbey church.

The rich historical decoration of the façade of this Abbey church tells us bible stories, it is like a book. We must remember that this was built at a time when the general public could not read or write - the use of pictures or pictograms were of paramount importance in getting your message across. Mary, St Peter, St Paul, St John the Evangelist and St Jovinus all adorn the front in carved relief, to tell the story. There is the scene of judgement and of Christ on the cross.

 

The story leads you to the interior which is no less awe inspiring by its size - with the longest nave in the Poitou region. The white walls and columns are deceiving, since these were renovated at the end of the XIXth century, the tradition would originally have been for them to have been painted with symmetrical designs. Massive columns and arches dominate the scene, but one must not forget the vaulted roofs. The latter were renovated back in the XIIIth century in the Plantagenet gothic style, demonstrating more elaborate intersecting ribs and decorative panels, which are centralised with a decorative ‘key' which only a master craftsman could have produced.

 

The church and its choir at the centre, are crowned with rich symbolic art which demonstrates the remarkable success of architecture in the Poitou region at this time.

Story written by Anji Weston who runs a B&B Le Grand Saule in Moncontour, Vienne

 

 

 

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