Brenac An introduction into the enigma of the Courtades

 

Formerly known as Bernacum

Brenac sits at the foot of the plate of Nebias, some ten kilometres from Quillan, along a secondary road. It encompasses the commune of the village, and the hamlets of Fauruc, Lasserre, Monsec and Prax. Its history dates back to prehistoric times, as several remains continue to testify.
The name Brenac is probably of Gallo-Roman origins. The Chapter of Narbonne holds the title deeds to it in the 9th century. There is mention of the village, as Bernacum, in 870, in the cartulary of St Just.
The Chapter of Narbonne (St Just) then equipped the place with a stronghold, this by royal approval. In the 11th century, the church was built, the old remains visible in the current church, which has since then been altered numerous times. Around 1760, the population measured 124 families, with approximately 400 worshippers.
The village suffered during the Cathar crusade, as well as the religious wars that occurred in the 16th century. The chronicle states that virtually everything had to be rebuilt. The church also had to be repaired. It would suffer again during the French Revolution, but unlike others in the area, was not destroyed.

The Visigothic vault of St Anthony

The village has retained its beautiful medieval vestiges, well maintained and worth a visit. However, our specific attention is drawn towards the parish church. Indeed, a persistent rumour links this place with the village of Rennes-le-Château. Of course, this should not come as a total surprise. Both villages were close to one another and priests would definitely occasionally meet, either socially or officially.
Just outside the village are the remains of a small insulated vault (one can reach it by car), which is the prolongation of a Visigothic oratory, under the protection of St Anthony. There are many points, all around Brenac, where this vault could have been built. But we need to note that it is from this specific point that the village of Rennes-le-Château can be clearly seen. It is a natural alignment between the two sites – and does suggest intention on the part of our early ancestors.
It is at this point that we need to add that another site, near Brenac, attracted the attention of vandals, in the hope of discovering the famous treasure of the Razès in that location… of course, no treasure was found, though the site had to be carefully protected from further destruction.

A priestly history

An oratory and a church also means the presence of a priest. Just now, we noted the possibility of the priests of Brenac and Rennes-le-Chateau meeting. A century before Saunière, the tragic period of the Revolution meant that various priests of the region decided to flee to Spain. It was a certain Capel who was in charge of Brenac in 1793. We know that the priest of Rennes-le-Château, Bigou, went to Spain. Perhaps the priest of Brenac went with him? This is idle speculation, but not illogical, given the proximity of the two sites and the seriousness of the situation.

Classified restorations inside the church

In the 19th century, the church was in a sorry state. In 1809, Mgr. de Laporte, bishop of Carcassonne, worried about the maintenance of the building. He had good reason to be anxious: the roof threatened to collapse, as its frame was completely eaten by worms. The pediment of the church was dangerously split and the bell-tower had but one remaining bell. Still, it would 1837 before any work was carried out. An entry porch was added and to the left and right, two side chapels were created.
In 1843, beautiful but strange frescoes were added to panels in the ceiling. They have been listed in the Historic buildings inventory since April 9, 1987 (as was the bell dating from 1646).

The church of Brenac

The dedication
The church is under the protection of St Julien and St Basilisse, both saints that lived in the 4th century and were martyrs in Antioch. These two saints are frequently find as patrons in this department, with nearly twenty churches dedicated to them. Just in the county of the Razès itself do we thus find the churches of Especel, Magrie and Villar-Saint-Andre under their patronage.
In Brenac, the celebrations in their honour occur on January 19, the day of St Marius, but before, it was the feast of St Germanique. The following day, January 20, masses were said for the dead.

A careful priest
Though several priests took care of this church, there is one priest that history has set aside for a particular importance: François Courtade!
Born in 1820, he attended the great seminar of Carcassonne. He was named priest of Brenac on May 10, 1848, where he would remain for the next 40 years – until the time when a young Saunière had arrived in Rennes-le-Chateau. Let us add that he was the great nephew of Felix Armand, who was famous for having made tunnels in the region.
François Courtade was also an experienced sculptor and painter. The village still has his statue of bishop Petrus Amelius, residing on top of the fountain near the church, inaugurated in 1878. Petrus Amelius (Pierre Amiel) was a native of Brenac. He was connected with the Avignon popes and specifically in the return of the Holy See to Rome in the time of Gregory XI.

Courtade
The man was particularly interested in looking after his church. He would carve himself a pulpit and would also donate a remarkable painting which he had created himself. The work is derived from Raphael, the famous Renaissance painter, showing Pierre Amiel de Brenac celebrating mass in the presence of the last French pope: Gregory XI.
Courtade was an old man when Saunière was named priest of Rennes-le-Château. Apart from religious business, it seems that both men exchanged letters and shared an interest in certain historical details and buildings that were part of the religious buildings of the two communities. The exchange would be as short as it was intense. What is astonishing, however, is that this exchange, though known to have existed, is not referenced in the notebooks of either Sauniere or Courtade. Still, the two men shared details on the Visigothic oratory and certain discoveries that had been made during farm work a short time before the Revolution. Several sarcophagi were said to have been uncovered, whose contents would have been transferred “under the old church close to the castle of Brenac”. The letters that were exchanged also hunt at an interest in a “register”, though no further details are given. Both men seem to know what this refers to, but at no time seem to want to enter into any details, or ask directed question, which means that the subject is mentioned, but largely left at that.

A chapel, a beautiful statue and a signature

To the right of the entrance is a small chapel, decorated with stained glass, its murals made with a green and brown colour to express a natural environment. The veins of the columns are decorated with a royal blue colour, with gilded lilies added to it. The remainder of the painted frames are enriched with repetitive geometrical designs.
The Western wall is occupied by a neo-Gothic wood furnace bridge, simple yet elegant. On top of this sit three statues. One is a man whom we take to be Joseph, if he did not hold a palm in his right hand. The character is not identified on the base, nor are any other hagiographic details to his martyrdom given. Next to him, in the centre of this triumvirate, stand Mary, crowned, carrying the child Jesus. On her left hand side is St Germanique.

It is clear that the entire set was… one set, as it shows similar design. They also come from the same sculptor. All carry clothing that is covered with a type of gold-leaf gilding, or simulating that technique. The hands, faces and feet are all flesh-coloured. They are identical to the statues of St Julien and St Basilisse found elsewhere.

Nameless statues

None of the three statues bear a name. We do not know who donated them. They just “are”, though we can date them, as we know that the chapel itself was only an addition built in 1837. Still, the style of the statues seem older, but perhaps they were precise copies of older models. The same remark applies to St Julien and St Basilisse, who sit in their respective niches elsewhere. As they were the patron saints, for sure, some sculpture of them must have been present in the church before the alterations and face-lift the church underwent in the 19th century. We can only wonder what might have become of the older statues who were most likely removed at the time of the restorations.

Courtade - act two

The statue of the Virgin Mary is clearly higher than the two statues next to her. No doubt, this is the result of a wish to reflect her exalted position. The bottom of state is partly hidden behind the decorations of the platform on which they rest.
It is on the base, somewhat difficult to distinguish, that we seem to find out the name of the people who placed the order for these statues: Courtade Frères, the brothers Courtade. For sure, this could be the name of the manufacturers, but it seems more likely that the inscription lists the name of the people who donated the statues to the church.
We can safely assume this was the Courtade family whose family member was the priest of the church. The only questions that remain is whether he himself donated or created the statues, or whether it were brothers or other family that donated these statues to his church.

Courtade, royal notary

There is another Courtade which is of interest to us, though for a totally different reason. This is the infamous royal notary Bernard Courtade, who was put in charge of collecting notarial acts, in preparation for the annexation of the Roussillon region to France in the 17th century. Courtade worked in Quillan, a mere 3 kilometres from Brenac, by the old Visigothic road of Devèze. His family originated in Brenac.

We note that Courtade did indeed have a “register”, which tackles the presence of a “royal tomb” in Perillos. Was it this “register” that was of interest to Saunière and which he spoke about in his letters to the other Courtade, who almost three centuries later was the priest of Brenac?
In our analysis, this is definitely a strong possibility. But the question needs to be asked whether the priest Courtade was aware of the importance of what his ancestor had written. Perhaps not. But perhaps, if he were clever enough, he might have asked some questions once Saunière began to ask questions… perhaps he successively did find out certain information. Who knows?
There is, however, one telling clue: it is after his correspondence with Courtade that Saunière began to move towards Durban and Perillos, and would much later create a scale model of the region there – the infamous model. This does suggest that Courtade might have been able to answer specific information that Saunière lacked. If so, then did Courtade always possess this information – and did he, like Saunière, perhaps think of furnishing his church with certain clues?

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