Labourdette, Régis. “Remarques sur la disposition originelle du portail de Souillac.” Gesta
18(1979):29–35.
Schapiro, Meyer. Romanesque Art. New York: Braziller, 1977, pp. 102–30.
Thirion, Jacques. “Observations sur les fragments sculptés du portail de Souillac.” Gesta
15(1976):71–72.
Vidal, Marguerite. “Souillac.” In Quercy roman. La Pierre-quivire: Zodiaque, 1959.
SOUVIGNY
. Control of the church of Saint-Pierre at Souvigny (Allier) passed to Cluny in 915,
making it one of the oldest and most important possessions of the Burgundian abbey. The
growth and prosperity of Souvigny are the result of, first, the death and burial there of
Abbot Maiolus of Cluny in 994 and, later, the burial there in 1049 of his successor at
Cluny, Abbot Odilo. The tomb of the canonized abbots became a pilgrimage site in the
region. The church of Saint-Pierre has a complicated history, with important building
periods in the 11th and 12th centuries and significant rebuilding (the Flamboyant façade)
in 1433–45. The new façade destroyed the early Galilee porch; the Revolution saw the
destruction of the church of Notre-Dame des Avents, which was probably the Infirmary
chapel. The 12th-century sculptures, in the past called the ‘Tomb of Maiolus,” are
actually from the jubé. The 12th-century church of Saint-Marc, built north of the abbey
church to serve the parish, has recently been restored. Initially receptive to Burgundian
influences, the abbey of Souvigny soon became a regional center, as Cahn puts it, “a
regional Cluny on a small scale.”
William W.Clark
[See also: CLUNY]
Cahn, Walter. “Souvigny: Some Problems of Its Architecture and Sculpture.” Gesta 27(1988):51–
62.
Vergnolle, Éliane. “L’ancienne priorale Saint-Pierre de Souvigny.” Congrès archéologique
(Bourbonnais) 146 (1988):399–431.
Wu, Fang-cheng. “Église Saint-Marc de Souvigny.” Congrès archéologique (Bourbonnais)
146(1988):432–41.
SPANISH MARCH
. In order to secure the Carolingian realm against invasions from Spain, Charlemagne
(742–814) created a march, or defensive zone organized on a military basis, along the
Spanish border. Frankish conquests in the 790s and early 9th century enabled the
establishment of such a region between the Pyrénées and the Ebro, with Barcelona its
capital. The march belonged to the kingdom of Aquitaine, ruled during Charlemagne’s
The Encyclopedia 1677