Cluniac painting at its peak

Clair-étage du soubassement de l'abside de la chapelle des moines

The composition of Berzé-la-Ville is a unique and skilful intellectual construction that reflects Cluniac thought.

The messages of Cluniac painting

For the apse, the artist and commissioner chose the handing over of the law and keys to Peter and Paul. A rare theme in Romanesque mural painting.

Indeed, in this private chapel of one of Cluny's greatest abbots, the idea was to illustrate direct dependence on Rome, to show the importance of Peter and Paul in the construction of the abbey and the transfer of their relics to Cluny.

Peintures murales dans l'abside
© Centre des monuments nationaux / David Bordes

The role of Peter, who receives the keys to the church, is on a par with that of Paul, the missionary par excellence, who established the first churches in the Mediterranean basin.

Peter and Paul are in a walking position, and their physical amplitude distinguishes them from the other apostles, who are huddled together. This image of the Church on the march, coming from the East and whose mission in the West found a relay in Cluny, is reinforced by the presence of the saints below, mostly of Eastern origin.

Représentation de saint Pierre recevant la donation
© Centre des monuments nationaux / David Bordes

A new iconographic model

The theme of the handing over of the law and the keys (Traditio legis et clavium), which originated in the early Christian and Carolingian periods (from 200 A.D. to the 10th century), was taken up again and transformed according to theparticular historical context of the late 10th century.

It is therefore a synthesis of several ancient models, part of a revival movement initiated in Rome. In contrast, the other apses in Burgundy's former territories depict the traditional iconography of the Maiestas Domini (Christ in Majesty).

Christ en majesté peint dans la conque de l'abisde
© Centre des monuments nationaux / David Bordes

Berzé's unique image reflects the abbot's desire to convey a specific message. It could reflect the desire to show the duality between earthly and heavenly power, while marking an important boundary between the lands of Saint Peter and those under Germanic imperial domination. It expresses both the transmission of power from Peter and Paul to their successors, and the Pope's authority over the bishops.