Semur-en-Brionnais - Saint-Hilaire

Hugh of Cluny (aka "Hugh the Great", "Saint Hugh", "Hugh of Semur"), abbot of Cluny, was born in this little village (one of the "Plus beaux villages de France") in May 1024. Hugh had the third abbey church at Cluny (aka Cluny III) built, the largest structure in Europe for centuries. He as well had Paray-le-Monial built, he founded Charité-sur-Loire, he was the godfather of Emperor Henry IV (see "Goslar) and an important mediator in the Investiture Controversy.

And Hugh had the former collegiate church Saint-Hilaire, a basilica on a "cluniacensic blueprint" built in his home-village. The construction started of the church 1120/1130. Hugh must have been a very generous benefactor, as he obviously employed the best carvers around to work here.

The lintel of the main portal on the western facade.

The lintel is carved out of one block of sandstone. The lintel tells how St. Hilary of Poitiers fought the Arianistic heretics, the most important part of his lifework. A band of foliage frames the (main) scenes.

On the left stands St. Hilary holding a book in his hand. On a kind of stage are three men sitting. They are discussing. Two men seated in front and between them is a third one, representing the crowd behind.
This is probably stands for the "First Council of Nicaea" and we see the debating party of Arianists, who denied the Trinity of God.
St. Hilary ("historicly " only 10 years old then) stands on the other side. He is holding his book "De Trinitate" as he was fighting the "heretics". Actually he was banned for four years of his life to Phrygia, when the Arianists were ruling.

This exile in Phrygia may be depicted in the middle, where an angel is holding a censer over St. Hillary, who as the bishop of Poitiers, wears a mitra, even during the exile.

On the right side, there is a stage again - this time populated with 5 debaters. There were different councils, where St. Hillary later defended the Trinity (and won!), so this may be a scene from Arles, Milan or Beziers.

Further right, beside the stage - is an empty chair. The chair is decorated - as this is the throne of Pope Leo. The Pople had left the throne, to use the latrine on the right.

Just sitting on the bowl - Pope Leo passes away. His heretic soul is leaving his body through his mouth, grabbed by one of three waiting devils. - What a drama!

Here either the medieval storyteller mixed something up - or he knew the sentence "Never let truth get in the way of a good story..". - The fierce opponent of Pope Leo I was Hilary of Arles, not Hilary of Poitiers.