The Corinthian capitals from the Romanesque abbey church

The recent excavations on the site of the abbey church have revealed to a large extent the chevet and transept of the building. They demand a reevaluation of the monumental decoration, which is represented by the fragmentary remains in the Musee des Beaux-Arts de Limoges. The big Corinthians, admirable as they are and unique in the Limousin, appear to be attributable in particular to this part of the building. Given the precocious features of the architectural fragments, a revision and refinement of the dating of this sculpture is required. Further, a reexamination of these capitals reveals how antique models - by way of models adapted in the regions of the Loire and Poitou - have been translated into granite. Hypotheses will be proposed as to the circulation of models and the capitals will be discussed in relation to their architectural context.