Saint-Pierre aux Nonnains
pictures
description
brief description:
the basilica of Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains is a historic pre-medieval church building in Metz. Its construction began in 380 AD. Originally built as part of a Roman spa complex, the building was used as a gymnasium. In the 7th century, it was converted into a church, becoming the chapel of a Benedictine monastery. The Romanesque nave was built around the year 1000, in the Ottonian Renaissance style of the Holy Roman Empire, to which the city of Metz belonged at the time.
relevant filming facts
opening times:
closed outside of exhibition hours
usage:
culture, tourism and leisure
condition:
good overall condition
interior architecture:
one room, renovated, not furnished. The basilica dates back to the 7th and 8th centuries. The decorations of the choir screen, part pagan, part Christian, are an illustrative example of acculturation. They attest to the persistence of signs of Roman culture during the Barbaric Civilisation, a time in which the building was given a new designation. The study of the building`s exact development between the late 4th and the 6th century is particularly difficult due to problems of dating (the history of Metz and its surrounding regions at the time is exceedingly non-transparent). It is, however, possible to trace the relationships between religion and royalty. The Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains finds mention in connection with official acts in the context of the Carolingian Reform. The building exemplifies the manifold back-to-back changes of aesthetic (Ottonian and Gothic architecture) and historic nature (the abbey was part of a military stronghold when the religious city of Metz, defending the Kingdom of France, had to hold out against the troops of Charlesl V).
layout:
800 m²
surroundings:
gardens, city, park
Lift/elevator:
n/a
possible disturbing factors:
acoustic: traffic noise / visual: contemporary architecture in the surrounding area does not correspond to the stylistic period of the church
accessibility
car:
gardens, city, park
train:
Metz Central Station is 5 minutes away
supply
sanitary facilities:
n/a
parking lot:
parking garage
electricity supply:
single-phased
water supply:
n/a