Baptistère Saint-Jean, Poitiers
The ancient Baptistery of St. John from the south. Public domain.
Entrance to the Baptistery of St. John. Photo © Jaufré Rudel.
Interior of the baptistery with frescoes. Photo
Christophe Finot.
Small carvings on the exterior. Photo © Jaufré Rudel.
Location map and aerial view of the Bapistery of St. John. For a larger
view, see our Poitiers Map or get our free Google Earth download.
The Baptistère Saint-Jean (Baptistery of St. John) in Poitiers is believed to be the oldest Christian building in France. It is conveniently located next to the cathedral and well worth a look. Originally constructed in the 4th century, the round baptistery was modified in the 6th and 7th centuries and decorated with frecoes a few centuries later.
History
In the earliest years of Christianity in Poitiers, the sacrament of baptism was administered in the River Clain, which runs about 100 meters from the baptistery. Then, around 360, a baptistery was constructed by the first bishop (St. Hilary) in what would soon become the ecclesiastical center of the city.
The construction of free-standing baptisteries was common in this early period, before baptisteries or fonts were included inside churches. Other notable examples include the Lateran Baptistery in Rome and the two famous bapisteries of Ravenna.
Over the centuries many changes were made to the original structure. A round apse and transept with square arms were added in the 6th or 7th century. The arms of the transept were later transformed into two small semi-circular apses.
A baptismal tank was added in the 6th century but in the 8th century this was filled in. The walls were decorated with frescoes in the 12th and 13th centuries, remains of which can still be seen. One shows the Emperor Constantine on horseback.
The baptistery was abandoned in 1791 during the revolution, then confiscated from the Church and sold to a private citizen who used it as a warehouse. It was saved from demolition by a public subscription, which allowed it to be repurchased in 1834.
The baptistery was excavated and restored in the middle of the 20th century. Excavations uncovered the baptismal tank and led to more precise dating of the building, which in turn ruled out the theory that the baptistery first served as a pagan temple. This theory accounts for its alternative name, Temple Saint-Jean.
What to See
The major features of the Baptistère Saint-Jean are all highlights: the Early Christian architecture, ancient octagonal tank and 6th-century murals. The baptistery also houses a small museum of Merovingian sacrophagi.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Baptistère Saint-Jean; Temple de Saint-Jean; Baptistery of St. John |
| Type of site: | Baptistery; church |
| Faith: | Roman Catholic |
| Status: | Museum |
| Dates: | c.360, with expansions in 6th/7th century |
| Architecture: | Early Christian |
| Location: | Rue Jean-Jaurès (by the cathedral), Poitiers, France |
| Phone: | 05 49 41 21 24 (Poitiers tourism office) |
| Hours: | July-Aug daily 10:30am-12:30pm and 3-6pm; Sept-June Wed-Mon 10:30am-12:30pm and 3-6pm |
| Cost: | €1 adults, €0.50 children under 12 |
Sources
- Baptistère Saint-Jean - Wikipedia (some text used under GFDL)
- Baptistery St-Jean: Plans and Drawings - Images of Medieval Art
- Saint-John Baptistery Museum - Vienne Tourism
- Darwin Porter, Frommer's France 2007 (October 2006).
- Rough Guide to France 9 (April 2005).
