La Collégiale Saint-Barnard

Du XIIIᵉ siècle au milieu du XVIᵉ siècle, les représentations d'anges musiciens fleurissent à travers l'Europe. Plusieurs sont représentées dans la collégiale.

L'orgue de la collégiale est composé de 2453 tuyaux.

La molasse, pierre locale, a été très largement utilisée à Romans dans les constructions depuis le Moyen Âge. C'est un grès provenant des carrières de Châteauneuf-sur-Isère en activité de l'antiquité à la fin du XIX^e siècle.

The Collegiate Church: the Origin of Romans

Founded in 838 by Barnard, Archbishop of Vienne, the building that can be admired today was built between the 12th and 18th centuries and features remarkable Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

The collegiate church is a major landmark in the city's history, at the origin of the formation of a borough in the 12th century, followed by a prosperous town fortified with its bridge and ramparts. With over 6,000 inhabitants, Romans was, by the early 14th century, one of the main towns in the Dauphiné.

Owned by the city of Romans, the Collegiate Church of Saint-Barnard has been listed on the first register of protected historical monuments since 1840. To this day, it remains one of the few classified historical monuments in the city, alongside the Calvaire des Récollets and the Stations of the Cross (Grand Voyage).

The Collegiate Church: a Medieval Gem

Standing 35 meters tall and 65 meters long, the collegiate church, through its architectural presence alone, underscores its significance in the history of Romans and reflects the power of the canons throughout the Middle Ages. Rebuilt several times, the collegiate church was devastated during the Wars of Religion in the 16th century. Its 12th-century cloister was demolished between 1857 and 1866. Dating from the same period, the lower part of the nave is the oldest visible structure still standing in the church today. Sculptures, painted decorations, stained glass, embroidered tapestries depicting the Passion, and movable objects make the collegiate church the most important monument in Romans and a remarkable site in southeastern France.

Painted Decorations

The collegiate church boasts a remarkable collection of painted decorations dating from the 12th to 15th centuries. In particular, the choir is entirely covered in highly intricate ornamental designs. Figurative paintings are also prominent, featuring depictions of Saints Denis, Rustique, and Eleuthère on the left side of the high altar. Visitors can also admire exceptionally well-preserved 13th-century angel musicians. The colors used belong to the palette of pigments typical of the Middle Ages: vivid reds, yellows, greens, blues, and blacks.

Did you know?

From the 13th century to the mid-16th century, depictions of angel musicians flourished across Europe. Several are represented in the collegiate church.

Sculptures

Many sculpted elements have survived the centuries, showcasing the artistic mastery of medieval sculptors. The 12th-century portal houses statues of four apostles, including Saint Peter and Saint John, with delicately carved capitals. On the north side, in the Impasse Saint Jean, a characteristic Romanesque door with gear-like teeth remains. On the south side, semicircular arched windows attest to the 12th-century elevation, also visible in the nave. Within this same nave, visitors can admire acanthus-leaf or historical capitals of great interest, including a 12th-century Annunciation capital.

Tribune Organ

The collegiate church's organ dates back to 1843. It was built by the organ builder Chambry from Valence and installed on a tribune erected in 1720. This is the 4th or 5th organ with which the collegiate church has been equipped since the Middle Ages. It measures 9 meters in height, 7 meters in width, and 3 meters in depth. It is topped with a polychrome wooden statue of Saint Barnard. With its walnut case, the organ is classified as a historic monument.

Did you know?

The collegiate church's organ is composed of 2,453 pipes.

Stained Glass Windows

On June 20, 1940, the French army destroyed the Pont Vieux to slow down the advance of the German army toward southern France. The blast from the explosion broke a large part of the collegiate church's stained-glass windows, which were later replaced with simple hammered white glass. In 1958, stained glass windows by the Nancy-based painter François Chapuis were installed in the south transept. Those in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament and the choir were either replaced or restored in the 1960s. In 2000, contemporary stained-glass windows were installed on the west façade following a public commission initiated by the City and the Ministry of Culture. Created by artist Georg Ettel, they were crafted by the Valence workshop Thomas Vitraux – master glassmaker, and illustrate the theme of the final two chapters of the Apocalypse of Saint John. Today, the oldest stained-glass windows in the collegiate church date back to the 19th century.

Great Sacristy

In the Great Sacristy, lined with 18th-century walnut paneling, numerous remarkable objects are displayed, including Pope Pius VI's mule and several reliquaries. A spectacular vestment cabinet, composed of six drawers, also houses a collection of liturgical garments.

Embroidered Hangings of the Passion

The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament holds one of the jewels of the collegiate church and the heritage of Romans: a series of nine embroidered hangings depicting the Passion of Christ. These exceptionally rich hangings date from the early 16th century and are believed to have originated from a Flemish workshop.

Fresco of the Three Doms

A 15th-century fresco of the Three Doms, depicting Saints Severin, Exupère, and Felician, was discovered in the 1960s. It is located on an arch separating the former chapels of Saint-Étienne and Saint-Maurice. This fresco also contains the oldest known representation of the Palais des Papes in Avignon.

A Restoration Project

A comprehensive diagnostic of the collegiate church was carried out in 2024 at the request of the City of Romans, making it possible to assess the building's structural condition.
This diagnostic estimates the full restoration of the collegiate church at nearly €20 million. As a result, the work will be carried out in phases over several years. The collegiate church is built from molasse stone, a material that is highly vulnerable when exposed to wind, rain, and thermal fluctuations. The facades and sculptures are affected by numerous issues and active degradation processes. The south facade, in particular, is severely impacted: the stone is flaking in several areas, the buttresses are heavily eroded, as are the bases of the large windows. This facade will soon benefit from the first phase of restoration work.

Did you know?

Molasse, a local stone, has been widely used in Romans for construction since the Middle Ages. It is a type of sandstone sourced from the quarries of Châteauneuf-sur-Isère, which were active from antiquity until the late 19th century.