Biozat No. 1
Image copyright © Baptisteria Sacra Index, 2026
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Results: 20 records
view of font - upper view
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Baptisteria Sacra Index, 2026
Image Source: photograph taken by BSI 1 July 2007
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0
view of font and cover
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Baptisteria Sacra Index, 2026
Image Source: photograph taken by BSI 1 July 2007
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0
view of font and cover
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © José Pacheco, 2025
Image Source: digital photograph 1 September 2025 by José Pacheco
Copyright Instructions: Standing permission
view of font and cover
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © José Pacheco, 2025
Image Source: digital photograph 1 September 2025 by José Pacheco
Copyright Instructions: Standing permission
view of font and cover
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © José Pacheco, 2025
Image Source: digital photograph 1 September 2025 by José Pacheco
Copyright Instructions: Standing permission
view of font and cover
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © José Pacheco, 2025
Image Source: digital photograph 1 September 2025 by José Pacheco
Copyright Instructions: Standing permission
view of font and cover
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © José Pacheco, 2025
Image Source: digital photograph 1 September 2025 by José Pacheco
Copyright Instructions: Standing permission
view of font and cover
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © José Pacheco, 2025
Image Source: digital photograph 1 September 2025 by José Pacheco
Copyright Instructions: Standing permission
view of font and cover
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © José Pacheco, 2025
Image Source: digital photograph 1 September 2025 by José Pacheco
Copyright Instructions: Standing permission
view of font and cover
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © José Pacheco, 2025
Image Source: digital photograph 1 September 2025 by José Pacheco
Copyright Instructions: Standing permission
human figure - head
Scene Description: a 'normal' looking human head, as opposed to the other three
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Baptisteria Sacra Index, 2026
Image Source: photograph taken by BSI 1 July 2007
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0
view of basin - interior
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Baptisteria Sacra Index, 2026
Image Source: photograph taken by BSI 1 July 2007
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0
view of basin - detail
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © José Pacheco, 2025
Image Source: digital photograph 1 September 2025 by José Pacheco
Copyright Instructions: Standing permission
view of church interior - detail
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © José Pacheco, 2025
Image Source: digital photograph 1 September 2025 by José Pacheco
Copyright Instructions: Standing permission
human figure - male - warrior - in armour - with sword - holding his own head
Scene Description: the decapitated figure holds his head in his left hand, as if it were a helmet
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Baptisteria Sacra Index, 2026
Image Source: photograph taken by BSI 1 July 2007
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0
human figure - head - grotesque
Scene Description: one of three such
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Baptisteria Sacra Index, 2026
Image Source: photograph taken by BSI 1 July 2007
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0
cleric - with book and candle
Scene Description: the figure has no "saintly" or Church head covering
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Baptisteria Sacra Index, 2026
Image Source: photograph taken by BSI 1 July 2007
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0
cleric - bishop - standing - wearing mitre - with staff - giving benediction
Scene Description: the label below the figure is broken off
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Baptisteria Sacra Index, 2026
Image Source: photograph taken by BSI 1 July 2007
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0
human figure - head - grotesque
Scene Description: one of three such
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Baptisteria Sacra Index, 2026
Image Source: photograph taken by BSI 1 July 2007
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0
Apostle or saint - Apostles - St. Peter - holding 1 key
Scene Description: the figure holds a very large key in his right hand
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Baptisteria Sacra Index, 2026
Image Source: photograph taken by BSI 1 July 2007
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0
INFORMATION
Font ID: 03868BIO
Object Type: Baptismal Font1
Date Visited: 2001-07-01
Font Century and Period/Style: 12th - 13th century, Romanesque
Church / Chapel Name: Église Saint-Symphorien de Biozat
Font Location in Church: Inside, on the N side, by the W doorway
Church Patron Saint(s): St. Symphorian [Symphorien d'Autun] [† ca. 200]
Church Notes: 12thC church listed in Mérimée [ref.: PA00093007] -- There a number of interesting polychrome historiated capitals of the Romanesque period in this church [cf. the Images section for a sample]
Church Address: 2 Chem. de l'Église, 03800 Biozat, France
Site Location: Allier, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France, Europe
Directions to Site: Located off the D36-D119 crossroads, 5 km ESE of Gannat, 12 km WSW of Vichy
Ecclesiastic Region: Diocèse de Moulins
Additional Comments: recycled font?: its basin well is rather uncharacteristic for a font of this period
Font Notes:
Click to view
Listed and illustrated in Le Patrimoine des communes de l'Allier (1999, v. 1, p. 375) as a square mounted limestone font of the 12th century. It appears to be a rather uncommon type for this area of France, a square basin with large heads carved on the corners and a standing figure or scene on each of the basin sides. The base, a cylindrical pedestal, does not match the basin at all, and there is a pyramidal cover of modern date. On-site notes: three of the corner "heads" looks like skulls, whereas the fourth is clearly human with a short mane; the basin sides have the following images: 1)St. Peter holding the key; this has the only legible label under it: "S : Ps."; 2)figure of a bishop with mitre and staff; only the "S" remains of the label below; 3)cleric holds a candle on the right hand and a book on the left; a small-case "b" is legible on the label below; 4)a warrior/knight figure stands with a sword in his right hand and a head, probably his own, in the left hand; no legible label. The basin is a top of a column and obviously not an original part of this font. The small and rather shallow square basin well has no drain and is rather uncharacteristic for this early period. Is this a recycled object? Also, what to make of the large rectangular object in the churchyard?
Credit and Acknowledgements: We are garteful to José Pacheco for his photographs of this font
COORDINATES
UTM: 31T 520940 5102791
Latitude & Longitude (Decimal): 46.078377, 3.270809
Latitude & Longitude (DMS): 46° 4′ 42.16″ N, 3° 16′ 14.91″ E
MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS
Material: stone, limestone
Number of Pieces: two
Font Shape: square, mounted
Basin Interior Shape: square
Basin Exterior Shape: square
Drainage System: no drainage system
Rim Thickness: 16-18 cm
Diameter (inside rim): 29 x 27 cm (square)
Basin Depth: 16 cm
Basin Total Height: 56 cm
Height of Base: 41 cm
Font Height (less Plinth): 97 cm
Trapezoidal Basin: 62 x 61 cm
Notes on Measurements: BSI
INSCRIPTION
Inscription Language: Latin
Inscription Location: under each of the basin-side figures
Inscription Text: [cf. Font notes]
Inscription Notes: most are now illegible or broken off
Inscription Source: On-site
LID INFORMATION
Date: modern
Material: metal, copper?
REFERENCES
- Le Patrimoine des communes de l'Allier, Charenton-le-Pont: FLOHIC, 1999, vol. 1, p. 375