L'évêque, le comte et le charpentier : à propos de deux monuments commémoratifs du XIIe s., à Notre-Dame du Puy

Abstract

This study is dedicated to two monuments adjacent to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame du Puy, the Porche du For and four sculptures. These sculptures situated on the second floor of the autonomous bell-tower have never been published before. It is my contention that the Porche du For was erected by Bishop Pierre IV (1159-1189) as a monument to his victory over the feudal seigneurs. Its architecture and sculptural program, therefore, use traditional images of cosmic rule and ecclesiastical triumph. The bell-tower sculptures commemorate, however, the popular movement of the Capucciati, founded in Le Puy by the carpenter Durandus and supported by Bishop Pierre IV in 1182/83. I would like to argue that these two monuments reflect the difference between two ways of artistic expression, when relating to ecclesiastical or popular events.