Église Sainte-Marthe de Tarascon

Église Sainte-Marthe de Tarascon or Collégiale Royale Sainte-Marthe is a collegiate church in Tarascon, France, dedicated to Saint Martha. It is where, according to a local tradition, the biblical figure Martha is buried.

Église Sainte-Marthe de Tarascon
Romanesque southern portal
Church interior
Sarcophagus of Saint Martha
Mary of Egypt by Pierre Parrocel

History

edit

Collegiate Sainte-Marthe was dedicated in 1197 and enlarged in the 14th and 15th centuries. It was built half-Romanesque in the 12th century and half-Gothic in the 14th century.

The tympanum and lintel of the Romanesque southern portal were severely damaged during the French Revolution.

The tip of the church tower was destroyed during Allied bombings on August 16, 1944. It was later rebuilt.

Features

edit

The crypt dates from the 3rd century. It houses the relics of Martha in a sarcophagus of the 4th century.

Church paintings include:

Painting by Charles-André van Loo:

  • Mort de Saint François or Saint François d'Assise recevant les stigmates (1730)
  • Sainte Marthe domptant la Tarasque (1730). Originally in the convent of the Capuchins and later in Eglise Saint-Jacques.

Paintings by Joseph-Marie Vien. Based on the narrative of the Golden Legend, they were initially part of a series painted for the convent of the Capuchins in Tarascon.[1][2]

  • Sainte Marthe recevant le Christ à Bethanie (1747)[3]
  • La résurrection de Lazare (1747)[4]
  • L'embarquement de sainte Marthe (1751)[5]
  • L'arrivée de sainte Marthe en Provence (1748)[6]
  • La prédication de sainte Marthe (1748)[7]
  • L'agonie de sainte Marthe (1748)[8]
  • Les funérailles de sainte Marthe (1748)[9]

Paintings by Nicolas Mignard:

  • L'Assomption (1643)[10]
  • Arrivée du Christ à Béthanie (1640)[11]

Paintings by Pierre Parrocel:

  • Sainte Cunégonde et sainte Cécile[12]
  • Sainte Marie l'égyptienne[13]
  • Le Christ sur la croix[14]
  • Sainte Catherine de Sienne[15]
  • Saint Thomas d'Aquin[15]
  • Adoration des Mages[16]
  • Adoration des Bergers[17]
  • L'Annonciation[18]
  • Notre Dame du peuple[19]

Painting by Philippe Sauvan:

  • Saint Dominique (1789) [20]

References

edit
  1. ^ Chaussard, Pierre Jean-Baptiste (1806). Le Pausanias français: état des arts du dessin en France, à l'ouverture du XIXe siecle: Salon de 1806. Paris: F. Buisson. p. 47.
  2. ^ Gaehtgens, Thomas W.; Lugand, Jacques (1988). Joseph-Marie Vien, peintre du roi, 1716-1809. Arthena. pp. 17, 61, 136. ISBN 9782903239091.
  3. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: Sainte Marthe recevant le Christ à Bethanie
  4. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: La résurrection de Lazare
  5. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: L'embarquement de sainte Marthe
  6. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: L'arrivée de sainte Marthe en Provence
  7. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: La prédication de sainte Marthe
  8. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: L'agonie de sainte Marthe
  9. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: Les funérailles de sainte Marthe
  10. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: L'Assomption
  11. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: Arrivée du Christ en Béthanie
  12. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: Sainte Cunégonde et sainte Cécile
  13. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: Sainte Marie l'Égyptienne
  14. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: Le Christ en croix
  15. ^ a b Base Palissy: 2 tableaux : Saint Thomas d'Aquin, Sainte Catherine de Sienne
  16. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: Adoration des mages
  17. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: Adoration des bergers
  18. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: L'Annonciation
  19. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: Notre Dame du peuple
  20. ^ Base Palissy: Tableau: Saint Dominique

Further reading

edit
edit

43°48′20″N 4°39′22″E / 43.805614°N 4.656084°E / 43.805614; 4.656084