Sculpture liturgique et églises de pèlerinages de l’Est de l’Aquitaine. L’exemple des chancels de l’abbaye Saint-Géraud d’Aurillac au XIe siècle

Abstract

At the South-Western borders of the Auvergne region, in Aurillac, St-Geraud’s abbey was an important stop on the pilgrim roads to Santiago de Compostela. Many churches in the feudal Aquitaine were named after saints whose relics had generated pilgrimages. Geraud’s grave attracted more and more pilgrims to Aurillac abbey church from the beginning of the second millenium. This important influx forced the monks to find ways to channel traffic and isolate themselves from the faithful crowds. One of the solutions was to put up barriers, such as the chancel screen. Few preserved sculptures make it possible to consider the 11th cent. Choir screen system in Aurillac. Two screen slabs were found in the abbey church, a third fragment belongs to a screen pillar from St-Clement’s parish church. These pieces give some precious clues for better understanding the ornamental and liturgical choices that could be found on the many pilgrimage routes of the Aquitanian territory during the Romanesque period.