Basilica of St. Julian of Brioude

We were attracted next to the small town of Brioude, still in Auvergne, by the prospect of seeing a large Romanesque basilica and also by the promise of another free aire de camping-cars. The aire was great; it even had an elevator to the upper town. But the church was another knock-out: 11th-13th century, beautiful stone, great colors, Romanesque throughout, frescoes and mosaic, pantokrators, a narthex for the Santiago pilgrims, and more corbels and capitals than even I could take in. There really aren't very many Romanesque churches of any size to look at. I'll have to do a long post on St. Julian's Basilica. And then one on its corbels and capitals.

West facade

Up closer

View of port bow; pretty Romanesque, no?

Up closer...scores of corbels

South door

Hardware

Outside, Vicki  noted the more recent paving left two grave sites recognizable

Nave view; note the colors of the different stones...

Some of the pillars and columns still showing paint

Thus; St. Julian's apparently didn't get the memo from St.
Denis  about pointy architecture

Large mosaic floor throughout

Much of the stone volcanic

Vierge a L'Oiseau, 14th century

Near the altar, floor of the earlier Carolingian church

Pantokrator presiding over the altar

Crossing, as it were

Elevation

Port aisle

Stairway leading to the narthex and the chapel of St. Michel 

Vicki edging up the thousand year old stairs

In the chapel, unbelievable frescoes

Going to Hell, in the Judgement scene

Great Pantokrator

Looking from the chapel to the spare parts room of the
gallery; what an experience! We spent both an afternoon
and the next morning admiring St. Julian's Basilica