The nave of St. Julien originally had six bays, but it was reduced to four during
the 1651 reconstruction and completely rebuilt. The nave arcades are supported by
large cylindrical columns similar to those at Notre Dame, but St. Julien has round
arches, which are typical of the Romanesque style. St. Julien was built
during the transitional period when the Romanesque style was giving way to the
Gothic in the Ile-de-France region, so it would not be considered unusual for
it to contain elements of both styles. But since the nave has undergone several
renovations over the centuries it is impossible to tell what it looked like
originally. Some historians even believe that the nave arcades may have once had
pointed Gothic arches similar to those of Notre Dame, and that the existing "Romanesque"
arches actually date from 1651.The columns of the nave alternate between plain capitals with square abaci and decorated capitals with octagonal abaci. The two decorated capitals at the back of the nave are partially embedded in the back wall. According to a couple of sources, all the decorated capitals of the nave are plaster reproductions dating from 1651, and the other capitals were left plain at this time for the sake of economy, but I found it difficult to tell if this was true or not. The capitals don't look like plaster, and the alternating capital styles continue in the two walled-up bays of the north aisle which you saw outside in the courtyard, showing that the alternating capital styles already existed at the time of the 1651 reconstruction. 
In the photo on the left, you see part of the nave arcade along the north aisle.
At the point where the nave and choir meet stands a large compound pier made up of
a cluster of smaller columns on the side facing the side aisle,
and some taller shafts facing the center of the church. Two of these hold up
ribs of the choir vaults, but one supports nothing. It is believed that the
nave was originally intended to have Gothic rib vaults, because the unused
columns on the two compound piers on either side of the nave look as if they
were put there specifically to support the ribs of the nave vault. Some sources
believe that these vaults were actually constructed, only to be demolished in 1651,
while others believe the nave never had rib vaults at all, but was instead covered
with a wooden or plaster ceiling. In any case, the superstructure of the nave was rebuilt in the 17th century
as a plaster barrel vault without ribs, which is what you find there today.
In this photo, you can see the capital of one of the tall
columns that was originally intended to support a rib of the nave vaults. Above it,
on the adjoining nave wall you can see some little recessed colonnettes. The other
side of the nave has them too. Most likely these little details
are remnants of the original decor of the nave wall.
The upper wall at the back of the nave is pierced by the round oculus window which
you saw in the pediment outside. Below it stands the wooden entryway which
makes a transition between the the outer doors and the interior of the church,
functioning as a kind of narthex for a structure that does not have one. This
photo also shows a bit of the plaster barrel vault, and gives you a better sense
of how narrow the nave of St. Julien really is.
A close-up view of the oculus window reveals a geometric sunburst pattern of
colored and clear glass. St. Julien has very little stained
glass, all of it modern. In the Middle Ages the church was used as a meeting place
and lecture hall by the University of Paris, and the election of the Rector was
held here. During the election of 1524, the students rioted, breaking most of the
furniture, doors, windows, and statues, so none of the original medieval windows
have survived. The windows were eventually replaced, and photographs from the late
19th and early 20th centuries show that the side aisles, upper nave
walls, and apse had windows composed of clear and stained glass, some ornamented
with five-pointed stars. Today only the oculus and the six windows of the upper nave
wall have stained glass. All of these windows were made in 1957 by the glass artist
Pauline Peugniez, whose work can also be found in many other French churches.
Here are two examples of the stained glass of the upper nave windows, one with a
small cross at the top and the other with a six-pointed star. The style of these
windows is geometric like that of the oculus. The windows are slightly pointed, but the
plaster openings surrounding them have round arches like the nave arcades.
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St. Julien le Pauvre url: http://www.people.ku.edu/~asnow/ Webmaster: A. Snow This page last updated 05/17/2006. |
