THE BOOK
It is called: Domes and Works
The French churches of the Visitation in the nineteenth century
After the dispersal of the communities during the Revolution, the Visitandines resumed their contemplative life in France. They had to acquire sufficiently large houses and convert them, as best they could, into regular monasteries. Sometimes they added new convent buildings.
The church, which was their priority, was often erected and then furnished in a rudimentary way due to limited financial means.
In the second half of the 19th century, their situation having improved, the nuns bought land on which to build more beautiful chapels. Their lives are turned towards prayer, the church remains what matters most to them.
From then on, the nuns worked to provide their monasteries with worthy churches. To do this, they called on various professionals and craftsmen: architects, masons, marble workers, painters, stained glass artists, weavers, cabinetmakers, goldsmiths and bronze workers.
While the strategy of these women is generally the same everywhere, each case is unique. Also, Domes and Works documents the salient aspect of each project, based on a broad research campaign carried out in the Museum’s archives, as well as in public and diocesan archives, to gather all possible information.
The churches built at this time are distinguished by a wide variety of styles.
For example, when the Visitandines of the First Monastery of Paris had their sanctuary built, they demanded a dome close to that of their old church designed by Mansart. The architect Jean-Baptiste Lassus harmoniously blended neo-Gothic with 17th century influences. In Lyon, Pierre Bossan, whose sister was a Visitandine, created the monastery of Fourvière, in a neo-Byzantine style inspired by that of the basilica he had designed on the same hill.
Two centuries after the construction of the first buildings, this book invites you to discover these churches through a rich collection of archival documents, including old photographs.
Some of these buildings have disappeared; others, desacralized, now have new functions. This book now preserves the memory of a hundred churches of the Visitation, witnesses of architectural trends and their decorations over time. We are publishing it in parallel with the exhibition Flamboyances in Moulins
Source and photos: Domes and Works – Musée de la Visitation
THE EXHIBIT
Flamboyances May 17 – December 22 €5
Flamboyance of Gilded Bronze 19th-Century Architecture and Decorative Arts at the Visitation
While renovating his church, the Curé of Ars constantly repeated: “Nothing is too beautiful for the Good Lord!” This maxim, this flamboyance, perfectly sums up the spirit that guided the construction and embellishment of Catholic chapels in France throughout the 19th century.
The Visitation nuns were part of this movement. Although they lived in poverty, they devoted significant sums to the construction of their churches. Through a selection of photographs and archival plans, visitors discover the great diversity of styles in these buildings.
During this period of increasing industrialization, numerous factories and artisan workshops put their expertise to work on such projects. Murals, altars, reredos, stained-glass windows: every element adorning a church is executed with particular attention. Bronziers, for their part, create altar adornments, as well as decorations of a beauty and finesse that vary depending on the financial means of their patrons.
Over time and with liturgical developments, these creations and this astonishing furniture have been neglected, disappearing almost without being truly valued in public collections.
The Flamboyances exhibition invites you to discover more than 150 previously unseen pieces from the collections of the Musée de la Visitation and the Order’s communities. These works, intended to magnify buildings and liturgical ceremonies, were designed to make an impression and inspire admiration. The gilded bronzes and brilliantly colored enamels, emblematic pieces of the decorative arts of the period, will be a true feast for the eyes!
Source and photos: Flamboyances – Musée de la Visitation