Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Sainte-Chapelle de Riom, built at the turn of the 15th century in Riom (then capital of the Duchy of Auvergne), is a palace chapel classified as a historical monument. It is inspired directly by the Sainte-Chapelle of Paris and is one of the seven chapels remaining in France out of the ten originally built. This monument is the last vestige of the Ducal Palace of Riom, evoked in the Very Rich Hours of Jean de Berry, of which it was the castral chapel.

The construction, launched between 1380 and 1403, was prepared by Guy de Dammartin in the 1370s, then relayed by Pierre Juglar and Hugues Foucher, master of works for John I of Berry. The stones were delivered in 1395, and the foundations began in 1396. A dendrochronological analysis dates back to the 1403 frame. The chapel, dedicated to the Holy Cross, Saint Louis and Saint Thomas, replaced an oratory built by Alphonse de Poitiers (1241–1271), where the marriage of John of Berry with Jeanne de Boulogne was celebrated in 1389.

In the 15th century, Anne de Beaujeu and Peter II de Bourbon set up a college of priests, formalized by Pope Innocent VIII in 1489–91. The French Revolution damaged the coat of arms, destroyed the arrow and statue of Saint Michael, and transformed the chapel into an archive room and then into a tribunal. In 1820 it was divided into two levels, resulting in the partial loss of its stained glass windows. Ranked a historical monument in 1840, it was restored from 1850 under the direction of Aymon-Gilbert Mallay, with a reconstruction of the stained glass windows by Étienne Thevenot (1853–56).

Architecturally, the flamboyant gothic chapel features a unique nave of four spans, dogive vaulted, with a pentagonal bedside. Its volcanic stone walls of Volvic are illuminated by nine bay windows, including the windows (1450–60) were commissioned by Charles I of Bourbon. The stained glass windows, damaged in the 17th–15th centuries, underwent controversial restorations in the 19th century. Today integrated into the Riom courthouse, the chapel belongs to the Ministry of Justice.

The stained glass windows, made by Berruyer glassmakers, illustrate religious and heraldic scenes. Their history reflects political hazards: revolutionary degradation, 17th and 18th century repairs (by Amable Boy and Pierre Chardonnet), and partial restoration in the 19th century. The 23.3 m long chapel also preserves private oratories for the duke and duchess, heated by a fireplace, as well as a carved motto: "Ursine, the tems will come".

Temporary exposure

Une exposition permanente et un livret ont été créés par le Pays d'art et d'histoire de Riom. Ils reprennent l'histoire et l'évolution de la Sainte-Chapelle et de la cour d'appel.

Temporary animation

Visites commentées par les guides-conférenciers du Pays d'art et d'histoire de Riom/

External links