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Vézelay Abbey

Type Object Region Europe Time c. 1120

The Abbey of Saint Mary Magdalene at Vézelay is an important pilgrimage church in Burgundy and the Cluniac system;…

Timeline

  1. c. 1120–1132Vézelay Abbey · BurgundyAfter the old church burned around 1120, the abbey rebuilt a soaring Romanesque nave with distinctive dark stone banding. The narthex tympanum depicts Christ sending forth the apostles, providing theological instruction for pilgrim crowds. The new building began hosting major liturgies around 1132.
  2. 1146–1147Vézelay Abbey · BurgundyOn March 31, 1146, Bernard preached at Vézelay to Louis VII and the assembled nobles, calling for the Second Crusade. The abbey square and church became a public stage where royal power, monastic reform, and holy war mobilization overlapped, leading directly to the 1147 expedition.
  3. c. 1150Vézelay Abbey · BurgundyAfter the mid-12th century, Vézelay remained an important stop on the Burgundy section of the Way of St. James. Modern restoration preserved the Romanesque nave and tympanum, making it a specimen for studying pilgrimage architecture and crusade propaganda spaces.

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