Octogone de Montmorillon: A Romanesque Cemetery Chapel in France
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- France
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval, Early Modern
- Civilizations
- French
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Chapel
On this page8 sections
History
The Octogone de Montmorillon is a Romanesque cemetery chapel in Montmorillon, France, built by medieval Christian builders as part of the Maison-Dieu complex. Construction began in the eleventh century, and the chapel is generally dated to the twelfth century. The Maison-Dieu, a medieval charitable religious institution serving devotional, hospitable, and caring functions, was founded around 1080–1085.
Origins and religious meaning
Traditions propose that the site may have been given a sacred character during the Roman period in Gaul, or even earlier, but these possibilities remain unconfirmed because no systematic archaeological excavation has settled the question. The chapel’s regular eight-sided form has often been linked with Templar architectural traditions. An octagonal plan alone, however, does not establish a Templar connection. The design may instead have drawn on other octagonal religious buildings, including the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, an Islamic shrine dated to 681, or the Palatine Chapel at Aachen, an imperial chapel built in 792.
Christian interpretations of the number eight associated it with Resurrection and blessed eternity. The seven-day week represented earthly existence, followed by the eternal rest of the eighth day. This symbolism, along with the understanding of death as entry into eternal life and baptism as a new birth, helps explain why octagonal plans were used for some cemetery chapels.
The Maison-Dieu precinct
A second, smaller octagonal building stood within the Maison-Dieu precinct and was regarded as a chauffoir, or heated room. The chapel itself continued to form part of the religious and cemetery complex through later centuries.
Roof changes and protection
By 1584, the chapel’s roof covering was in ruins. Renovation followed between 1611 and 1639, and a record dated 21 October 1639 describes a pyramid-shaped roof structure, a domed bell tower covered with slate and lead, a lantern for the bell, and further roofing in tile and slate. The bell tower appears to have been destroyed as early as 1724. Between 1997 and 1999, renovation work restored an appearance associated with the seventeenth-century phase, replacing the bell-tower element with a campanile-shaped lanternon, a small raised structure or turret crowning the roof.
The Octogone was classified as a historic monument under the 1840 list, giving formal recognition to its architectural and historical value.
Remains
The chapel has a regular octagonal plan, with eight sides meeting at angles of 45 degrees. Its two-level elevation rises above an ossuary, a chamber intended to contain human bones removed from graves. The building is constructed as a cemetery chapel within the Maison-Dieu complex, and its Romanesque character is expressed through massive construction and strongly sculptural decoration.
Interior sculpture
The decorative program is chiefly sculptural, although the interior was painted and was probably repainted several times. Interior corbels carry carved foliage and human heads, including two heads with protruding tongues. One more elaborate corbel combines a grimacing head with a lion. Corbels on the exterior terminate the torus mouldings on the south side and mark the angles of the stone roof; these supports also carry faces.
Modillions and façade figures
The chapel has 69 modillions, projecting carved blocks placed beneath a cornice or roof edge. They depict monsters, animals, human heads, foliage, and various figures. Four groups of figures decorate the façade on pillars. They include two personifications of lust, the four Evangelists, an Annunciation, a Visitation, and three female saints. Among the Evangelists, Saint John is shown with his cup and Matthew with a balding forehead. The Annunciation represents the announcement of Christ’s conception to Mary, while the Visitation represents Mary’s visit to Elizabeth.
Roof and bell-tower remains
The seventeenth-century roof arrangement consisted of a pyramid-shaped roof structure, a domed bell tower clad in slate and lead, a bell lantern, and additional sections covered with tile and slate. The later restoration reproduced the bell-tower element as a campanile-shaped lanternon, preserving the form associated with the chapel’s seventeenth-century appearance.
