Le chevet de l'ancienne abbatiale de Saint-Antoine-en-Viennois et sa place dans l'histoire de l'architecture du XIII^e siècle

The Eastern parts of the former abbey church in Saint-Antoine-en-Viennois, which have never been correctly analyzed appear to be very important for the comprehension of the development of Gothic architecture in Rhône-Alpes region. Constructed on a late 12^th century base, the choir and its chapels show how rapidly Burgundian Gothic style spreads in the first half of the 13^thcentury by means of regional and very important edifices that the Lyon and Vienne cathedrals represent. Moreover, the choice of that modern architecture appears to be linked to the historical context of the village, where the Benedictine monks, who control the church and the relics of Anthony the Great, conflict with the Hospital Brothers of St Anthony. In this context, the construction of the church precisely helps the Benedictine monks to assert their own legitimacy by establishing artistic links with Lyon and Vienne and before being definitively disowned by Pope Boniface VIII in 1297.