Bridge chapel

The 12th century Chapel of Saint Nicholas, built on a pier of the Pont Saint-Bénézet, Avignon.

A bridge chapel is a small place of Christian worship, built either on, or immediately adjacent to, a road bridge; they were generally established the during pre-Reformation mediaeval era in Europe.

Although sometimes built on land at the very start of the bridge, bridge chapels were often built into the bridge structure itself, usually on one of the piers which had been made especially large for the purpose.[1] These chapels were intended to minister to the spiritual needs of travellers passing over the bridge. Many were established as chantries, where a priest was employed to say masses for passers by and sometimes for the repose of the souls of the bridge's benefactors. In some instances, the priest would be responsible for collecting tolls from bridge users. In England, the end of these institutions came with the Reformation, when the Abolition of Chantries Acts, 1545 and 1547 led either to their demolition or conversion to secular use.[2]

Some notable examples

The Chapel of Our Lady of Rotherham Bridge in South Yorkshire.

References

  1. ↑ Morriss, Richard K (2004), Roads: Archaeology and Architecture, The History Press, ISBN 978-0752428871 (p. 202)
  2. ↑ Cook, Martin (1998) Medieval Bridges, Shire Publications Ltd, ISBN 978-0747803843 (pp. 38-42)

See also

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