out of the ordinary Discover the little (and big) secrets of Narbonne
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The homecoming of an Archbishop and President
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Changing wine to water for Africa
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A stranded anchor
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• Who was the archbishop Dillon?
As President, Archbishop Dillon was also a builder. He was responsible for the junction between the Robine canal and the Canal des Deux-Mers. In Toulouse he had a dyke built to protect against the flooding of the Garonne, and in Nimes he salvaged the Maison Carrée. He encouraged winegrowing in the area, and furthered the development of chemistry by assisting a certain Chaptal in his career...
• Where did the teeth of his lordship go?
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The homecoming of an Archbishop and President |
| Two centuries following his death, the remains of Monsignor Arthur Richard Dillon have found their way home to the diocese where he was the last Archbishop. Following a prolonged sojourn in London, he now rests in the cathedral of Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur. |
Visitors to this Gothic cathedral can hardly believe their eyes - Narbonne boasts the newest sepulchre, dedicated to a prelate of the Ancien Régime, in the whole of France. Msgr Arthur Richard Dillon, born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1721, died in exile in London in July 1806. Msgr Dillon was re-interred, in the presence of Cardinal Lustiger, on the 16th of March 2007, in a vault in the chapel of Saint-Martin, following an official ceremony fit for a President: this is a role he actually once held. To be precise: he was “ born ” President of the States of Languedoc. This institution dates from before the French Revolution and pre-figures the decentralisation of modern France. His birthright coupled the presidential function with the title of Primate of Narbonese Gaul. Msgr. Dillon, an aristocrat of Irish descent, assumed these roles in 1763.
In 2003, Jacques Michaud, professor of Legal History in Montpellier, president of the Archaeological Commitee of Narbonne, and champion of Septimania (as the region was called in ancient times), was inspired with the idea of repatriating Msgr Dillon’s remains. During work on the Eurostar line, a coffin, presumed to be the Archbishop’s, was brought to light in the ancient cemetery of Saint-Pancras in London. London was a popular haven for French aristocrat émigrés on the run from the guillotine.
Professor Michaud notified the Nunciature and the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair. The professor insisted that the remains of Mgr Dillon be brought back to Narbonne …the ensuing negotiations took four years, but finally Professor Michaud achieved his goal.
