Saint-Pierre Cathedral of Beauvais

The cathedral Saint-Pierre of Beauvais is a masterpiece of the Gothic architecture. It is re-elected not to have a Nef - only the first Travée was built - and to have highest Gothic chorus in the world (48,50 m).

History

first cathedral of the 10th century it remains only some spans of the nave: Beauvaisiens name it “Notre-Dame of Simple work”, in opposition with the “High Work” which is the Gothic cathedral. “Simple work” was destroyed on the decision of the bishop-count, after a nth fire, and with measurement of the construction of the new church; it occupies the site initially planned for the construction of the nave.

It is after a fire of “Simple work” that started, in 1247, the construction of the Cathédrale. In 1284, a small portion of the vaults of the chorus crumbles because of the effects of the wind on the paring arcs. One decides to consolidate by modifying the structure of the vaults and adding intermediate pillars in the chorus. Repairs finish in the neighborhoods of 1347. The Guerre One hundred Year old spends and marks one period of pause in the construction of the cathedral. They is only 150 years after the construction of the chorus which the transept will be built under the impulse of the count-bishop Louis de Villiers of Isle-Adam and under the direction of the architect Martin Chambiges. This one will not know the end of work: he dies the August 29th 1532. Once the set up transept (between 1500 and 1548), one decides to build the highest arrow of all Christendom.

“We will build a so high arrow, that once finished, those which will see it will think that we were insane. ”

Work begins in April 1563 and finishes in 1569, it reaches 153 m height then. The April 30th 1573 is one day black in the history of the cathedral: whereas the faithful ones leave the celebration of the Ascension, the arrow and the three stages of the bell-tower crumble. The rebuilding of the vaults of the transept deprives the cathedral of the required funds to build the nave. The cathedral remains since unfinished.

The Révolution, it also, left its mark on the monument: in October 1793, the sans-culottes decapitate the statues and plunder the cathedral which becomes for a time a temple dedicated to the Reason.

In 1840, the cathedral is registered on the Inventory of the historic buildings.

Scaffolding is installed almost uninterrupted around its structure according to many work always in progress. Contrary to a tough legend, the cathedral is firmly anchored on a stable ground, but its very great height and the fact that it is not shouldered in the west by a nave, creates a great brittleness to him which is narrowly supervised by its various persons in charge.

Structure

Its frontages, particularly that in the south, expose all the richnesses of the Gothic sculpture and rebirth. The casements out of wooden of the gates northern and southern are the work of master craftsmen beauvaisiens of very great talent.

The church has a astronomical Horloge (1866) animated by a spectacle “its and light”, and the oldest medieval clock with chimes always in operating condition. It always has two whole of remarkable tapestries of chorus (XVe and XVIIe centuries) and other tapestries, of which a whole visible with the departmental Museum.

Stained glasses of 13th, 14th and 16th centuries are still in place; the beauvaisienne family of Leprince, in XVIe S., decorated the two frontages of the transept of pinks, and their leader, Engrand Leprince, left a large canopy. One owes with this one some of the remarkable stained glasses of the Église Saint-Etienne.

The astronomical Clock

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