Abbatial church of Notre-Dame de Mouzon
Church of the monastery of Mouzon in France / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The abbatial church of Notre-Dame de Mouzon is the ancient church of the monastery of Mouzon, in the Ardennes region of France.
Abbatial church of Notre-Dame de Mouzon | |
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Abbatiale Notre-Dame de Mouzon | |
General information | |
Type | Abbatial church |
Architectural style | Gothic |
Town or city | Mouzon |
Country | France |
Coordinates | 49.6054°N 5.0758°E / 49.6054; 5.0758 |
Year(s) built | 12th century |
Groundbreaking | 1840 |
Designations | Roman Catholic worship |
The evolution of this abbatial church in the Middle Ages is linked to the relics housed here, notably those of Saint Victor and Saint Arnoul. These relics became sources of material income as they were objects of ostentatious worship. The influx of pilgrims led to the construction of this building in the 11th and 13th centuries, inspired by the early Gothic style, but already heralding a second generation through certain technical choices. The relatively small size of the site, compared with the stone vessels of the great cathedrals, means that visitors can easily take in the entire church envelope, with differences in light intensity giving relief to the architectural elements and religious furnishings. The presence of a recluse just a few meters from the abbatial's choir also bears witness to the diversity of religious life in the West at the time.
In the early 18th century, Christophe Moucherel installed an organ and a Baroque-style high altar. During the French Revolution, the building was preserved by the commune, despite the dissolution of the monastic community, and became the parish church.
However, the church has suffered from disaffection and lack of maintenance, making it vulnerable. However, it was classified as a historic monument as soon as the first list of monuments protected in this way, the 1840 list, was issued. Between 1855 and 1890, it underwent a major restoration campaign. The work, requested by Prosper Mérimée, was led by architect Émile Boeswillwald. The building was saved. However, the western facade was radically altered.