722 Vézelay, Church of La Madeleine
functions evolved. At the same time, the LAITYabandoned
long tunics and cloaks, but their use continued in the ser-
vices of the church. By the 10th century, the principal
liturgical vestments and their use had become established
in the Western Church, and there were only minor
changes in these costumes from the 13th century. Sur-
plices, loose white garments with wide sleeves, were
introduced as a substitute for albs or longer, tight-fitting
gowns, for many occasions. The chasuble, similar to a
cloak, were mainly reserved for the celebration of MASS.
The tunicle, similar to an overcoat, became the distinctive
vestment of the subdeaconate, a lower clerical order on
the way to the priesthood. During the same period, bish-
ops, demonstrating an enhanced importance, began to
wear additional and more prestigious vestments such as
luxurious sandals, miters, and gloves. The vestments of
the Eastern Church were similar to those of the Western,
but a few differed: the dalmatic, worn over a tunic, was
not used in the East, and the epigonation, a stiff lozenge-
shaped vestment, was not worn in the West.
See alsoCLOTHING AND COSTUME.
Further reading: Robert Lesage, Vestments and
Church Furniture, trans. Fergus Murphy (New York:
Hawthorn Books, 1960); Janet Mayo, A History of Ecclesi-
astical Dress(New York: Holmes & Meier, 1984); Cyril
Edward Pocknee, Liturgical Vesture: Its Origins and Devel-
opment(London: Mowbray, 1960); Roger E. Reynolds,
Law and Liturgy in the Latin Church, Fifth–Twelfth Cen-
turies(Aldershot: Variorum, 1994).
Vézelay, Church of La Madeleine Founded about
860 by the legendary Girard de Roussillon, this church
had its beginnings as a Benedictine monastery in north-
ern BURGUNDY. Girard had supposedly placed it under the
direct protection of the pope in ROME. After the first
monastery and church were devastated in a VIKINGraid,
it was moved to the top of Mount Scorpion and was
transferred to the jurisdiction of CLUNY, which promoted
its development as a PILGRIMAGEsite devoted to Mary
Magdalene in the mid-11th century.
As the starting point of one of the four routes to SAN-
TIAGO DECOMPOSTELA, Vézelay earned great prosperity
but also envy among the nearby bishop of Autun and the
counts of Nevers. Actual battles were fought and an abbot
was assassinated in 1106. Despite these problems, in
1146 BERNARD OFCLAIRVAUXpreached the Second CRU-
SADEthere. The link to Cluny was abolished in 1159.
RICHARDI LIONHEARTand PHILIPII AUGUSTUSmet there
to set out for the Third CRUSADE. Thomas BECKETantago-
nized HENRY II by preaching against the king there
shortly before his murder in 1170. King LOUISIX stopped
there several times to pray and mediate local conflicts. He
was in attendance in 1267 for a solemn recognition of the
RELICSof Mary Magdalene, long certified as authentic by
a papal bull in 1058. These conflicts, however, did not
diminish the church’s attraction for pilgrims during the
later Middle Ages.REMNANTS AND BUILDING HISTORY
Of the Benedictine monastery, there has remained only the
abbey church, which was restored by Prosper Mérimée
and Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century. There were fires in
1120 in the NAVEand in 1165 in the CRYPT. Its three aisles
had to be rebuilt between 1120 and 1140, and high win-
dows and groined vaults were also constructed. In the
12th century there were also built in the Gothic style a
NARTHEX, a chapel to Saint Michael on the upper story,
and the celebrated tympanum showing Christ judging
souls. The crypt and nave were rebuilt between 1170 and
1220, and the heavy Romanesque buttresses were rein-
forced by flying buttresses. Its rich collection of sculptures
of biblical subjects, lives of the saints, and odd pagan
themes inside has not been much restored.
See alsoROMANESQUE ART AND ARCHITECTURE.
Further reading: Hugh of Poitiers, The Vézelay
Chronicle and Other Documents from MS. Auxerre 227 and
Elsewhere,trans. John Scott and John O. Ward (Bingham-
ton: Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies, 1992);
Robert Branner, BURGUNDIAN GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE
(London: A. Zwemmer, 1985); Kevin D. Murphy, Memory
and Modernity: Viollet-le-Duc at Vézelay(University Park:
Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000); Véronique
Rouchon-Mouilleron, Vézelay: The Great Romanesque
Church, trans. Laurel Hirsch (New York: Harry N.
Abrams, 1999).vicar During the Middle Ages vicars were the replace-
ments for clerics who wished to be absent from their
appointments. Vicars were provided with powers that were
extensive but revocable at the will of the holder of the
office of BENEFICE. For parishes this meant the PRIESTcov-
ering for the nonresident parish priest, with whom he had
agreed to a contract for one or two years, subject to
approval by the local bishop. The vicar collected all the
revenues, took on the care of souls or sacramental respon-
sibilities for the parish, lived on the site, and paid rent.
Bishops also sometimes had vicars to cover their sacramen-
tal and administrative duties. The popes sent out vicars-
general to look after their affairs in particular places,
attend councils and synods, and oversee the local clergy.
These situations did not always produce good or
even adequate pastoral care. There was considerable con-
cern for abuses in reform legislation, but vicars were a
valuable way of freeing the clergy for other duties while
providing their substitutes and themselves with reliable
incomes at the same time.
Further reading:F. Donald Logan, A History of the
Church in the Middle Ages(London: Routledge, 2002);
Joseph H. Lynch, The Medieval Church: A Brief History
(New York: Longman, 1992).