Praxiteles
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The Baptistery of Saint Jean at Poitiers
Built probably by St. Hiliary of Poitiers around the year 350, two transepts were added in 6-7th. century, In XI century these were further expanded and decorated with fine mosaics. The Baptismal pool was only blocked up in the 18th. century. It was sold in 1791 by the revolutionary government and acted as a storage shed. The Baptistery was spared demolition when it was purchased by a public subscription in 1834. It was restored in the 20th. century. Excavations brought to light the original 4th century baptismal pool- The Bsptistery is believed to be the oldest Christian edifice in France.
San Giovanni in Fonte or the Lateran Baptistery in Rome, again, an octagon.
Built by Pope Sixtus III c. 440 and incorporating elements from and earlier baprtistery and from the 1st century. It marks the spot where it it held that the first Christian Emperor, Constantine, was baptized.
Despite its age, much of the Sixtine building still survives -and let us hope that the Green Guard will never get anywhere near it! After Atilla and Alerick and everyother savage that passed thorugh the pages of European history, it would be too tragic were the Lateran Baptistery to be subjected to the gook produced by the Art and Architecture Subcommittee of the Liturgical Commission of the Irish Episcopal Conference -does not the name just indicate how insignificant that body is…
One of the major elements of church furnishings to suffer tremendous vandalism at the hands of the liturgical Gauleiters and iconoclasts has been the Baptistery and Baptismal font.
In Irish churches up the cultural revolution and the Maoist “Green Book” published by the Liturgy Commission of the Irish Episcopal Conference (without any canonical authority) the Baptistery and the Bsptismal font were usually located at the west end of the church, usually (though not always) in the north corner. This is a classical positioning of the Baptistery. It is evident, for instance in St. Peter’s in Rome and also in Cobh Cathedral. This positioning is governed both theologically and physically by the posiytioning of early baptisteries – which were always OUTSIDE of the church. By being baptised outside of the church, the theological statement was made that one entered the church through baptism. Vestiges of this external baptism continued right into the High Middle Ages when the insufflusions for (or breathing on) infants was performed in the external porches of churches.
In the first wave of the cultural revolution, the baptismal font was usually either abandoned or else dragged into the sanctuary of the church so that the ceremony of baptism could become a piece of “play acting” or “common amateur dramatics” with seating for the gaukers.
By the time the liturgical cultural revolution produced its second green book, the Green Guard had gone off the idea of burgeois dramatics and now recommended that the font be moved from the sanctuary and planked inside the main door, left topless and generally to serve the purpose of a Holy Water stoop – so much for the liturgical and theological significance of the Sacrament of Baptism. Praxiteles has already mentioned what happened to the font in Marktl-am-Inn -it became a bird bath in the presbytery garden until the election of Benedict XVI and someone advereted to the incongruity of a bird bath which had served as the baptismal bath (or lavacrum) of regeneration for the Roman Pontiff and quickly brought it back to the parish church.
Having had so much shifting and shoving around from the Green Guard -headed by Paddy Jones and Co. – in the liturgical cultural revolutuion, the poor old Baptismal font seems to have been completely denuded of any religious significance. And, not surprisingly, nobody knows what to do with it – then of course if you subscribed to certain theological currents populòarized by the likes of K. Rhaner, then of course Baptism -as the Green Guard seems to think – is of no significance or importance other than admission to a social group.
In the midst of this cultural cataclasm, it is perhaps helpful to look at the historic evolution of baptisteries. And we begin with some of the more spectacular early surviving examples that we have in Italy: first off is the Baptistery of Florence Cathedral. Located outside the West entrance of the Cathedral; it is octagonal (reflecting the cosmic cycle of God’s Creation completed by the resurrection of Chist), with its famous Golden Door or the Porta del Paradiso facing the Cathedral door. It was through this that the baptized processed into the Cathedral at Easter to be confirmed and to assist for the first time at the Mass (all the parts beyond the Creed). Hence, the name of the door: Porta del Paradiso, the Gateway of Paradise!
Praxiteles does not think that anyone will deny that in the very location and positioning of the Florentine Baptistery a statement is not being made.
@Praxiteles wrote:
Strange is it not that McCutcheon Mulcahy never mentions Cobh Cathedral in its portfolio of prestigeous clients and projects? Are they ashamed of their involvement in the effort to assist in wrecking the interior of the Cathedral for a bit of pottage or do they not wish to be associated with the discredited set of individuals who hired them to smooth the plannig path or is it something about themselves or is it something else that causes this company to draw a curtain of astounding silence over its (continuing) involvement with the HACK and the would-be-wreckers in Cobh?
Praxiteles also notices that McCutcheon Mulachy make no mention of their involvement in a failed proposal for the redevelopment of Kinsale convent of mercy. An Bord Pleanala sorted that one too.
A short history of St. George’s Chapel:
Some information on St George’s Chapel at Windsor:
[
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_George’s_Chapel_at_Windsor_CastleSt. George’s Chapel, Windsor c.1500-1509
The West window was built 1500-1506 and glazed by a glass shop with connections in Normandy.
The West window is 36 feet by 29 feet.
@Gianlorenzo wrote:
Just pain a visit to their site. It has to be the most boring site I have come across in a while.
Prax. Do you really think that they are going to advertise their failures. As for their current involvement that remains to be seen – can they really be that stupid to get involved with the HACKers et al again.Never underestimate the human capacity for stupidity!
St. Mary’s Church Buttevant
South and West elevations.
Note the foreshortened window as in West window of Edington Priory and the tracery of the window as in West window of Worcester Cathedral -now heavily obscured by storn glazing.
Note the large Maltese cross on the SOuth gable. It should be on the pinnacle of the West gable while the small cross on the West gable should be on the South gable.
The corona of the tower is based on those at York Minster.
Strange too that the main door of the church should be opened when there is no procession to enter and the side doors are closed (and should be opened for the faithful to enter).
The statue of the Sacred Heart on the right hand side of the window is was made by Matty Mahony and an account of its making is to be found in Seamus Murphy’s Stone Mad (Chapter 6, p. 40).
Speaking of painted ceilings, here is one that you would expect to see in Gothic or Gothic Revival church. It is in Exeter Cathedral:
Strange is it not that McCutcheon Mulcahy never mentions Cobh Cathedral in its portfolio of prestigeous clients and projects? Are they ashamed of their involvement in the effort to assist in wrecking the interior of the Cathedral for a bit of pottage or do they not wish to be associated with the discredited set of individuals who hired them to smooth the plannig path or is it something about themselves or is it something else that causes this company to draw a curtain of astounding silence over its (continuing) involvement with the HACK and the would-be-wreckers in Cobh?
And here we have a little something from the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/22/us/22religion.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
@ake wrote:
Lovely. I’m looking at the picture desaturated. It’s a very fine little church. I wonder was there a crucifix painting in the centre? Interesting what you say about Latin in West Africa.
Almost certainly there was a picture of the Crucifixion over the High ALtar here. Unfortunately, the 1970s mania saw the demolition of all three altars here and the removal of the altar pieces and rails.
ANd here we have the facade of Ballyhea (1831) with the added modern porch and the foreshortened window.
However, the retro-sacristy is of interest for this can now serve as the model for the rebuilding of Ballintotis sacristy.
@ake wrote:
Ballintotis is of the same form as the more elaborate augustinian church in New Ross which is more properly cared for.
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Agreed!
Or this at Castletownkinneagh near Drimoleague in West Cork which is dcertainly by Br. O’Riordan.
The presence of the awful porch, as at Ballintotis, explains the foreshortened window.
This is what th facade probably looked like originally – St. Barrahane’s at Castlehaven also by Br. O’Riordan
@ake wrote:
Lovely. I’m looking at the picture desaturated. It’s a very fine little church. I wonder was there a crucifix painting in the centre? Interesting what you say about Latin in West Africa.
Yes ther probably was and it was probably flanked by two other pictures. Unfortunately, all have disappeared. In Ballintotis all three altars have also disappeared but, the Serliana survives and with a little imagination it should not be too difficult to embark on a process of resporation to retrieve the church from much neglest and and dilapidation.
