. The Civil engineer and architect's journal, scientific and railway gazette. Architecture; Civil engineering; Science. 1842.] THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. Among the eminent individuals of whom Poitiers was in old time the residence, the memory of none is more respected than that of Ste. Radtgonde, wife of Clotaire I, who, abandoning the pleasures of the world and her high position, established herself in Poitiers, and founded there, about the middle of the sixth century, an abbey, which took the name of St. Croix, from a relic of the true cross given to Radogonde by the emperor
. The Civil engineer and architect's journal, scientific and railway gazette. Architecture; Civil engineering; Science. 1842.] THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. Among the eminent individuals of whom Poitiers was in old time the residence, the memory of none is more respected than that of Ste. Radtgonde, wife of Clotaire I, who, abandoning the pleasures of the world and her high position, established herself in Poitiers, and founded there, about the middle of the sixth century, an abbey, which took the name of St. Croix, from a relic of the true cross given to Radogonde by the emperor Justinian. Near the monastery, but beyond the walls of the city, she built a church for the burial of the sister- hood. This is supposed to have been destroyed by the Normans in 108-1, and rebuilt at the expiration of the same century. The church, as it now remains, is noticeable for the large span of the vaulting over the nave, which has no aisles. The structure is chie6y of semicircular work, and has a lofty arcade against the side walls of the nave, similar to that already mentioned in the cathedral. The choir has an aisle on either side of it, with a semicircular absis and two small chapels. Beneath the high altar is a chapel, containing the remains of Radi'gonde, in a black mcrble tomb of evident antiquity. Externally the church has a square tower at the western end, the upper story of which is octagon. Against the north side of the tower is a circular turret with a conical roof, which renders the general effect of the tower picturesque. The walls of this building, both inside and out, are literally covered with masons' marks, in some cases precisely similar to those about the cathedral. The only other church in Poitiers is that of Montiemeuf, which was commenced in lO'li, by Guillaume Guy Geoffroy, Count of Poitiers, but was not completed till twenty years after«-ards: the choir was afterwards rebuilt. An attempt has been made to render the whole of the interior classic
Size: 1688px × 1480px
Photo credit: © The Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1800, booksubjectarchitecture, booksubjectscience
