Surbourg
Ancienne église collégiale Saint-Arbogast
Presentation
The origins of the abbey date back to the second half of the 6th century, when Saint Arbogast was bishop of Strasbourg, but the present church dates mainly from the 1st half of the 11th century (early Alsatian Romanesque). The building has a basilica layout with three naves with ceilings, ending in a transept and apses with semi-circular vaults. Inside, the large arches rest on alternate supports: columns with cubic capitals and masonry pillars with simple transoms. The quality of the small rubble stones, alternating red and grey sandstone (outside the nave and chevet of the north absidiole) and the decorative carving on the facings (inside the nave pillars) are particularly noteworthy.
History: In the 10th century, part of the relics of Saint Arbogast were transferred from Strasbourg to Surbourg. This transfer led to the construction of the church of Saint Arbogast in the 11th century.
Photo gallery
Read more
The abbey of Surbourg was founded in the 6th century. The relic of its founder, Saint Arbogast, was laid there at the end of the 11th century.
The layout of Saint-Arbogast is cruciform, the first of its kind in Alsace. The nave and transept are of equal height and width.
The building is the result of 4 successive construction periods. The entire threeship nave, the transept, the two little apses and the crossing tower are remains of the primitive church, erected in the last third of the 11th century. The central apse was reconstructed in the late 15th century, cross-ribbed vaults were set above the crossing and the bay on the right-hand side of the choir; the vestry was attached to the southern arm.
It was common practice in medieval architecture to reuse parts of former buildings in new constructions. Here, the fragment of a Gallo-Roman column with fish-scales has been integrated in the North-Western wall of the nave.
Associated locations
