Collegial Saint-Quiriace

The Collégiale Saint-Quiriace is a church 12th century belonging to the historical heritage of the town of Provins (France). It has the effect never of not being completed, the realization of the church in the proportions given at the beginning being too expensive. It is located not far from the Tour César.

A fallen through monumental construction

A first Collégiale had been founded by the Count Eudes II of Blois between the years 1022 and 1032. The first reference made to collegial is the text the privilege of Richer writes in 1062.

One century later, the collegial one became too small to accommodate the community of Chanoine S present. The count de Champagne Henri the liberal decides to make rebuild the collegial one on larger bases in order to be able to join together in its chorus a hundred Ecclésiastique S about the years 1160.

The death of Henri in 1181 leaves the collegial unfinished one, the chorus however is sheltered, which makes it possible the offices to be held there. The nave is designed to have a length of eight spans, but only two will be finally built. The financial problems of the kingdom under Philippe Beautiful the will make that construction will remain in this state. At the 16th century, one will be solved definitively to close the nave by a bored frontage of two openings.

The cross set up at the other end of the square of collegial indicates the place where would have to be located the entry of the building if dimensions of origins had been respected.

Later work

In 1625, the stability of the nave is compromised by the openings practiced on the frontage. They will be walled and will remain in this state until our days leaving an air of unfinished with this collegial.

The building will know a fire of its high part in 1662. The top of the nave is restored in the two years which follow. The intersecting ribs will be replaced by a dome. This dome will be restored successively in 1773, 1836 and more recently, in the years 1950 to repair the damage due to Second world war.

See too

External bond

Collegial Saint-Quiriace

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