Another year and another list of my favorites. Check out these French music videos. I just can't get enough of French pop music!
Francis Cabrel - Encore et Encore
France Gall -- Ella, Elle l'a
Eluiza and I were driving from Lyon to Le Puy, and we stopped at a little 17th century chapel near St. Chamond and St. Julien that is sited in the middle of nowhere. It turned out to be a chapel for those people of this area who contracted a virus that resulted in an epidemic in south-central France. In just one month (September 1628) over 250 people died. The only solution at the time was to sequester those who contracted the illness, so they were transported to this area called a "fay".
These very sick people lived in cabins--isolated--but they were given alms and provided with care by Capuchin monks. At one point the monks led by Fr. Edouard decided to work with the men of the area to build this small, modest, but venerable chapel so that the sick could more easily hear the Mass. The chapel was dedicated to St. Roch, the saint of healing in times of pestilence and contagious disease.
Eluiza and I probably wouldn't have been that interested in this chapel had we not recently lived through the Covid pandemic that was a worldwide event. It is yet another example of how history comes alive.
As the written history of the chapel indicated, the building represents one of the rare monuments of a French church that escaped the "devastating hand of man" so that we can still see it today and learn of its history. It is after all a part of the French heritage, which is revered. The government even appoints a national historian who is a frequent host on TV historical programs.
And this is precisely why I have loved
living in France: history is everywhere! But despite their interest in history, the
French don't live in the past. They are a modern people who rely on
technology for everything, care about climate change, and wear jeans, t-shirts, and athletic shoes.
However, they appreciate history because it witnesses their heritage
and gives them an identity. I'd say that's an important part of living as a citizen of a modern nation.
After the pestilence ended, the priests of St. Julien continued to celebrate Mass during the Rogations (days of prayer, fasting, processions).
Since 1901, the chapel has belonged to an association that renovates, maintains and gives it life by organizing religious and cultural events throughout the year.
The chapel was locked, but we were able to take a peek of the chapel's interior through a barricaded window.
A view of the back of the chapel.
Pierre was born in Langeac into a noble family around 1007-1009. He devoted himself to God from a very young age, and as a priest, he had a reputation for piety and eloquence. He died on September 8, 1080, and was buried in the abbey.
Today, the front steps of the monastery have been decorated with red flower boxes as a way of contrasting the gray stone. However, this simple, almost hidden entrance does not prepare visitors for the magnificent chapel that awaits them.
The symbol of the monastery
was a castle that looks like the rook in the game of chess. Here the
castle is depicted in a ceramic tile attached to the wall. This symbol appears in other art works in the monastery like these intricately carved wood designs.
An old-fashioned confessional and a small side altar.
St. Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear the Son of God. St. Joseph in gold holds the infant Jesus.
During the French Revolution (1789-99), the monks abandoned the abbaye and it was sold and nationalized. The building fell into disrepair, and in 1847 the Gothic vault in the sanctuary collapsed. It was replaced by a wooden-beamed ceiling that was much lighter. In 1947 the vault of the nave was replaced by a French ceiling even though the building was not copacetic with Church design. The arches are carved stone.
The stone exterior of the monastery shows how extensive this complex was. Structurally speaking, the building comprises various doors as well as nooks and crannies that once served the monks and their work. Things are not exactly symmetrical as we might expect in a building, but they were undoubtedly functional for the life and work of the monks.
