Campo Santo - La Funeraria

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An urban cemetery and its chapel The Saint-Jean cloister-cemetery, known as Campo Santo since its restoration, was built in the first third of the 14th century. The cloister galleries were covered with a wooden lean-to supported by columns with carved capitals. Each crypt, in pure Gothic style, is marked with crests bearing the arms of wealthy Perpignan families. A central ossuary was dug in 1321. To the northeast, the Funeraria, dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist, built at the end of the 14th century, decorated with contemporary stained glass windows by Shirley Jaffé, was intended for funeral ceremonies. For more information Saint-Jean funeral complex XIVth century Listed buildings Property of the City of Perpignan. The Saint-Jean de Perpignan funerary complex was created at the beginning of the 14th century. The Saint-Jean funeral cloister is the largest and oldest example of a funeral cloister preserved in France. It has been classified as a Historic Monument since June 30, 1910. This building was built on the initiative of Abbot Guillaume Jorda between 1300 and 1330. The current building consists of 4 galleries each about 54 meters long, and houses on 3 sides a series of tombs carved in marble limestone from Baixas. The 4 galleries of the cloister were originally covered with a wooden lean-to supported by columns with carved capitals. Each crypt, with refined Gothic forms, is marked with crests bearing the arms of the wealthy families of the nobility and the bourgeoisie of Perpignan. A central ossuary was dug in 1321 for the burial of the less fortunate. After the French Revolution, the building, in a worrying state of health, was abandoned and taken over by the Army to serve as a warehouse and stable. In 1825, a new building was built inside the enclosure of the old cemetery for the construction of a major diocesan seminary. This new construction caused the demolition of the western gallery and the dismantling of the skylights, with the exception of the one located to the north. In 1907, the seminary was assigned to the department, a consequence of the law of 1905 on the separation of Church and State property. The premises of the gendarmerie were set up there, which evacuated the premises in 1984 for "restoration and enhancement of the site". In 1991, the work was completed with the choice of the High Commission for Historic Monuments not to restore the old galleries of the medieval cemetery cloister. The Chapel of Saint John the Evangelist or Funeraria This small funeral chapel in the Gothic style was built at the end of the 14th century thanks to private donations, and particularly thanks to the substantial bequest (200 pounds from Barcelona) of a wealthy bourgeois from the city in 1383. In the 15th century, it changed its funerary function to serve as a classroom, and in 1601 to become the chapter house of the chapter of Elne. During the Revolution, the chapel was abandoned and in 1907, the Departmental Archives moved into the premises. In 1992, archaeological excavations were scheduled and a year later, restoration work began. The chapel dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist has a single nave plan composed of 2 vaulted bays on ribbed vaults. Its square plan choir on the ground becomes polygonal in the upper parts through 2 corner squinches. This architectural game characteristic of the Majorcan period is also found in the upper and lower chapels of the palace of the kings of Majorca in Perpignan and in the choir of the cathedral of Palma de Majorca. The stained glass windows by American artist Shirley Jaffe and master glassmaker Jean Mauret were inaugurated in 1999. For the realization of these 9 windows, the artist took into account the particularities of architecture and its history to create a clear space and colorful. To do so, she gave up "her colors with muted tones" for plates of pure colors. Technically very difficult to achieve, the master glassmaker was able to meet the artistic requirements of the artist.

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