Le Pendentif

The Pendentif of Valence is a funerary monument of Renaissance style built in 1548 in memory of Chanoine Mistral. Acquired by the City in 1796, the Pendentif, known for its perfect arch, was among the first classified monuments in France in 1840 just three years after the formation of the Historic Monuments Commission. The Pendentif is one of the great sights of the city of Valence. The Pendentif is named after the ornaments of its arch-like pendants, type of construction; the first historical example. The architectural design was new at the time as the vault interior dome is built on a square. The pendants come together to form the vault, they are not built with horizontal courses, but by following four supporting arches , built using a complex machine. The Pendentif of Valence with its arch shape of the renewed interest of the Renaissance forms of antiquity. It can be seen on the facade, made of sandstone, representing small holes penetrating the heart of a deceased person and an octopus, a salamander and masks can also be seen carved.