Odo of Metz

Inside view of the Palatine Chapel, by Odo of Metz Oratory of Germigny-des-Prés, by Odo of Metz

Eudes or Odo (also other forms[a]) of Metz (742–814)[1] was a Frankish[2] architect, possibly of Armenian origin,[3][4][5][6] who lived in the Carolingian Empire during Charlemagne's reign.[7] Nothing is known of Odo's life, training or education. The tradition that he was Armenian stems from a perceived association between the style of his works and early Armenian churches.[8]

## Historiography

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The sole record of Odo's existence and work comes from a mention of him in an inscription commemorating Charlemagne, the text of which survives in the emperor's Vita.[9] It says nothing of Odo's origin.

While there is no documentary evidence of Odo's background, his reputation as Armenian arose from a perception that the oratory he built at Germigny-des-Prés and the Armenian mother church, Etchmiadzin Cathedral, come from the same architectural tradition. There was already such a folk tradition present among Armenians in France from the 19th century,[10] possibly influenced by this perception. The art historians Josef Strzygowski and the Soviet-Armenian Alexander Sahinian strengthened the belief with their theories of the Armenian roots of Odo's architecture. Strzygowski's and Sahinian's theories were not accepted by scholarly consensus.

A report was made during the 1960s renovations of Aachen Cathedral, that a researcher had unearthed an inscribed stone, with Odo said to be mentioned in it as coming "from the region of Mount Ararat", (i.e. Armenia). No authenticated record of this inscription exists, and the stone itself cannot be traced.[11]

## Style and works

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Odo's Carolingian architecture with polygonal-based domes and elaborate elevations are reminiscent of late Roman architecture with Byzantine style. In particular, his design for the Palatine Chapel, Aachen, was possibly modelled on the Basilica of San Vitale of Ravenna.[2] It is unknown whether he saw these buildings himself, or only drawings of them.

Odo may have had access to the extensive technical knowledge embodied in the classical work De architectura through his connection to the royal court. The text of Vitruvius' treatise is known to have been copied and preserved in Charlemagne's court scriptorium, and it is through these Carolingian Renaissance-era manuscripts that the work survived, widely rediscovered in the Middle Ages, and down to modern times.[12][13]

Eudes of Metz is credited as the architect of:

* Charlemagne's Palace of Aachen with the Palatine Chapel (792–805), in Aachen[14]
* the church of Germigny-des-Prés in 806–811.[6]

## See also

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* Carolingian art
* Metz

## Notes

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1. ^ Odo is also rendered Oto, Otto or Odon

## References

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1. ^ Guréghian, Jean-Varoujean (29 October 2020). Patrimoine historique arménien en Turquie (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. p. 20\. ISBN 978-2-14-016207-7. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
2. ^ a b Rybczynski, Witold (2022). The story of architecture. New Haven (US): Yale University Press. pp. 60–64. ISBN 9780300246063. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
3. ^ Dézélus, Robert (1989). L'art de Transcaucasie (in French). Vienna: Edition Méchithariste. p. 274\. "L'arménien Eudes de Metz construisit la chapelle palatine d'Aix et l'église de Germigny-des-Prés."
4. ^ "Proceedings", Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, vol. 84, Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, p. 69, 1964, "Eudes de Metz, the architect is said to have been Armenian."
5. ^ Louis, Victor (1976). The complete guide to the Soviet Union. p. 99.
6. ^ a b Ching, Francis D. K.; Jarzombek, Mark M.; Prakash, Vikramaditya (2010). A Global History of Architecture. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 317\. ISBN 9781118007396. "In 806–811, the Armenian architect, Oton Matsaetsi, built the church of Germigny-des-Prés in France."
7. ^ Naredi-Rainer, Paul von (2013). "Eine denkmalpflegerische Intervention von außen: Josef Strzygowski und der Aachener Dom". In Marjan Cescutti; Ursula Stampfer; Helmut Stampfer; Josef Riedmann (eds.). Erhalten und erforschen: Festschrift für Helmut Stampfer [Preserve and research: Festschrift for Helmut Stampfer] (in German). Innsbruck: Wagner. pp. 439–451. ISBN 978-3-7030-0820-7.
8. ^ Keuerleber, Gisela (25 January 2014). "Geschichte: "Aachen war das neue, zweite Rom"". Deutschlandfunk Kultur (in German).
9. ^ Binding, Günther (1993). "Odo von Metz". Lexikon des Mittelalters [Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages] (in German). Vol. 6: Lukasbilder bis Plantagenêt. München: Artemis-Verl. p. 1360\. ISBN 3-7608-8906-9.
* Citing: Jaffé, Phillipe (ed.). Bibliotheca rerum Germanicarum (in Latin). Vol. 4, Monumenta Carolina. p. 536, note 1. "Insignem hanc dignitatis aulam Karolus caesar magnus instituit; egregius Odo magister explevit; Metensi fotus in urbe quiescit"
10. ^ Sheffer, Gabriel (2005). "A Profile of Ethno-national Diasporas". In Ina B. McCabe; Gelina Harlaftis; Iōanna Pepelasē Minoglou (eds.). Diaspora entrepreneurial networks: Four centuries of history. Berg. pp. 359–370. ISBN 978-1-85973-880-1.
11. ^ Yevadian, Maxime K. (1 January 2020). "Ermittlung über die Widmungsinschrift von Dombaumeister Odo im Aachener Dom" [Investigation into the dedication inscription of cathedral master builder Odo in Aachen Cathedral]. Schriftenreihe Karlsverein-Dombauverein (in German). Vol. 22\. Karlsverein-Dombauverein [Charlemagne Association]. pp. 63–73.
12. ^ Reynolds, Leighton D.; Wilson, N. G., eds. (1983). Texts and transmission: A survey of the Latin classics. Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 441–442. ISBN 9780198144564. "Its splendid calligraphy, and its dominant influence on the later tradition suggest that it might well have been written at the palace scriptorium of Charlemagne [at Aachen]. This is supported by the fact that the first two men to show any knowledge of Vitruvius after the Dark Ages are Alcuin, in a letter written to Charlemagne between 801 and 804, and Einhard, who in addition to his close association with the court, had a practical interest in building."
13. ^ Rowland, Ingrid (18 March 2024). "Vitruvius from Manuscript to Print". In Ingrid Rowland; Sinclair W. Bell (eds.). Brill's Companion to the Reception of Vitruvius. Leiden: Brill NV. pp. 7–33. doi:10.1163/9789004688704_003. ISBN 9789004688704.
14. ^ Conant, Kenneth J. (1994) [1959]. Carolingian and Romanesque Architecture (4th ed.). New Haven, CT (US): Yale University Press. p. 47. ISBN 0-3000-5298-7. LCCN 78149801.

## Further reading

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* Lemonde, Jean-Paul (November 2009), La Chapelle palatine, Aix-la-Chapelle: Le grand œuvre de Eudes de Metz (PDF) (in French)
* Avetisyan, Vigen (27 June 2023). "The Chapel of Charlemagne: Creation of the Armenian Architect Odo of Metz". Art-A-Tsolum. (in English).

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