22 THE ORIGINS OF FREEMASONRY FROM ANCIENT TIMES TO THE MIDDLE AGES
One such building is the cathedral built in Clermont under the aegis
of Bishop Namatius some time around 450 or 460 A.D. It's "blueprints"
can be seen today, carved on the walls of its eastern apse, precursors of
those that would be in great vogue starting in the eleventh century.
During the following century, Agricola, bishop of Chalon sur Saone
(532-580), had a number of buildings erected in this city, including
houses and a church supported by columns and decorated with colored
marble and mosaic paintings.
The Gallo-Romans were not the only ones who were skilled at
building, however. The barbarians also distinguished themselves in the
art of building, a significant fact:
Toward 475 a governor of Auvergne saw to the building of Saint
Julien de Brioude, with its superb columns, on the orders of King
Euric. It eventually became a popular pilgrimage site. Around
530-535, the terrible Clotaire employed Goth architects to build
the Church of the Holy Apostles (Saint Ouen) in Rouen. This work
was described as admirable by the people of the time. Under the
reign of Clotaire's son, Launebode, the governor of Toulouse, the
former Visigoth capital, guided the construction of a church dedi-
cated to Saint Saturnien. According to the poet Fortunatus, this
project was attended to by more talent than a Roman outside of
Italy would display. A large portion of the eastern ramparts of
Carcassone are attributed to the Visigoths for very plausible rea-
sons. And finally, there are Saint Marcel near Chalon and Saint
Martin of Autun, two important buildings connected to the mem-
ory of King Gontran and Queen Brunhilde.^2The last of the Gallo-Roman provincial leaders may well have been
a bishop of Cahors, Saint Didier or Gery, who died in 654. He won
fame as a builder and was regarded by his contemporaries as having
rediscovered the ancient mechanical system for producing large cut
stones, which had been abandoned during the final years of the empire.
In addition to his cathedral, he repaired or built part of the ramparts of
Cahors, erected bridges across the Lot River, and built an Episcopal
palace and various religious establishments.