Cathedral Of St Etienne De Bourges

Cathedral of St Etienne de Bourges
Overview of the building since the Garden of the Archdiocese in 2006 .
Contact	47 04 '56 "North 2 23 '57 "East / 47.08222, 2.39917
Country	France
Region	Center
Department	Cher
City	Bourges
Worship	Roman Catholic
Type	Cathedral
Attached to	Diocese of Bourges and Centre National Monuments
Construction begins	1195
Work Completed	1230 (shell)
Style (s) dominating (s)	Gothic
Protection	Rated MH ( 1862 ) World Heritage ( 1992 )
Location
Geolocation on the map: France
change

Cathedral Saint-Etienne de Bourges , built between the late ^twelfth and late ^thirteenth century is the seat of the diocese of Bourges (dpartements of Cher and the Indre ).

It's a jewel of Gothic art in France. It is necessary to admire the strength of its architecture, the harmony of its proportions and richness of its decoration.

His single plan, its tympanum, sculptures and stained glass windows are particularly striking. Admirable in its proportions and the unity of its design, it demonstrates, beyond its architectural beauty, the power of Christianity in medieval France. His pioneering style that this cathedral is an outstanding example in the Gothic architecture. Long ignored, it differs from all other cathedrals and has nothing to envy the most prestigious cathedrals ( Reims , Chartres or Notre Dame de Paris ) ^History

The cathedral at night, in 2006.

The building, seen from the forecourt of the Cathedral in 2007.

Beginnings

In 1195 , Henri de Sully , archbishop of Bourges , the brother of Eudes de Sully , bishop of Paris made a donation to the cathedral chapter of Bourges.

This donation will be the starting point for building a new cathedral at Bourges , to replace the Romanesque cathedral, considered too small, dating from the ^eleventh and ^twelfth centuries , which we do not know much. We only know that there has been a center on the site of Christian worship since the ^third century , at a time when the Roman city of Avaricum housed the first Christian community in Gaul. Four buildings have succeeded on the place of the current cathedral of crypts monuments were erected by St Ursin in ^the third century , Saint Palais , the archbishop ^fourth century , and Raoul of Turenne , Archbishop the ^ninth century. Gauzlin , Archbishop of royal blood - he was the brother of Robert II the Pious - was the builder of the first Romanesque cathedral in the early ^eleventh century.

Bournemouth , royal city since 1100 , was located at that time to the southern boundary of the royal estate, a few miles of Aquitaine, an English possession. The Archbishop of Bourges was also the title of Primate of Aquitaine and his authority, often challenged, stretched as far as Bordeaux.

The new cathedral is the largest Gothic building built in the south of the Loire, and it seemed of great importance both for the prestige of the king of France , and for that of the archbishop. Figurehead of the Capetian domain toward the south of France, the Cathedral Saint-Etienne de Bourges had to be unique in its design. It was therefore decided to construct a building large scale, comparable to Notre Dame de Paris , and innovate.

To do this, it should be built beyond the old wall of Gallo-Roman which had supported the Romanesque choir and overflow into the ditches. The difference in level required to build a base that anticipates exactly the plan bedside. It is the lower church is called to the wrong crypt.

Construction

Construction was begun in 1195 and in 1214 nearly half of the building - just over the choir today - was completed.

The plan of the new cathedral is simple, but harmonious. It is a form of a basilica with chapels that surround the nave. What will the new building remarkable, it is the view from the side walls and the unity of the interior space. Initially, the Archbishop Henri de Sully seems to have inspired the plan of Notre-Dame de Paris. But he died in 1199. His successor, Archbishop William of Dangeon former Cistercian abbot, took an important part in developing the site and in the definition of the iconographic program. The death of William in 1209 , soon followed by his canonization, an influx of donations from the faithful and pilgrims.

After a break of ten years, the second season of construction - shell of the nave and west front - began in 1225 and will continue until 1230. To date, most work is done.

The North Tower collapsed in 1506 and had to be rebuilt.

Then, the work of the facade were performed in slow motion. In 1313 , he had support the south tower, which had appeared in the cracks, by implanting a huge pillar bumping. " It has never been possible because of this fragility, to implant the bells, hence the name "Tower deaf." Further consolidation works were undertaken on the faade and the north tower was still unfinished at the consecration of the cathedral 13 May 1324 by Archbishop William de Brosse.

The architects who succeeded the first Master of Bourges - whose name is unknown - have preserved the consistency and simplicity of the program, lack of transept contributors to the unity of space.

In 1424 , the cathedral received its astronomical clock , built by Andrew Cassar and designed by John Fusoris.

^XV and XVI ^centuries

While the North Tower was completed during the 1480s, this one shows signs of fragility in 1503. She collapsed on 31 December 1506 and was rebuilt between 1508 and 1542 , consistent with the Gothic facade, although it has some decorative elements Renaissance. It was funded by such grants, loans and miscellaneous revenue. It was called the "tower of butter, due to a popular belief that it was partly funded by fees paid by the faithful and which earned them permission to eat butter during Lent.

During the wars of religion , in 1562 , Bourges was taken by the Protestants , the sculptures of the cathedral were severely damaged.

During the Revolution

Under the Terror, the cathedral was emptied of its furniture. Upon the cessation of public worship it was dedicated to worship of Reason, this is how we opened the Temple Unit December 10, 1793.

Renovation

In 2008 , after a year of work, the north gate is fully renovated. The western doors at the front of the cathedral were also renovated, and only the central door is still under construction. The purpose of this work is planned for early 2011.

In April 2010 , a false roof was installed in front of the cathedral to protect workers who hold an initial part of the re-roofing to be completed in mid 2011. The scaffolding will then be moved, and the repair should last until 2013.

Description

Exterior

Plan of the Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral of Bourges

The western side is the largest Gothic buildings in France (over 40 m) with five gates, all with double door, corresponding exactly to the five naves, whose sculptures are particularly beautiful. The central portal offers under the magnificent scene of the Last Judgement.

From an architectural standpoint, Bourges had an influence on other European cathedrals: the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris ), Le Mans , Coutances and Toledo . .

Interior

Bourges Cathedral as surprised by his lack of transept by his double aisle. This feature provides a longitudinal perspective that continues the traditional division of a transept breaks elsewhere. The cross section has a pyramidal profile. The original provision discovers a unified interior space.

The windows of the cathedral of Bourges is a part of the ^thirteenth century , the ^sixteenth century , they added new stained glass windows, created by the artist Bourges Jean Lecuyer.

The organ

There is mention of the organ from the early fifteenth century. The current major organs were redesigned under the direction of Marie-Claire Alain in 1977. The appearance of the instrument was followed, keeping up the old elements and removing many elements unreliable and unsuitable added over the centuries.

The provision is obtained as follows:

Main dimensions

• Length: 120 meters.
• width: 41 meters.
• width of the nave to the choir: 14.96 m.
• width of the west front pillar including butting: 73.45 m.
• vault height of the nave: 37.15 m. ( Notre-Dame de Paris : 33 m).
• vault height of the aisle inside: 21.30 m.
• vault height of collateral outside: 9 m.
• height of the roof ridge of the nave: 47.60 m.
• height of the north tower called "Butter": 65 m
• height of the south tower called "Deaf": 53 m
• Area: 5900 m ² ( Notre Dame de Paris : 5500 m ^2).

Photos

Porch of the Cathedral	North Tower at night in 2009.	The Cathedral, view from the Garden of the Archdiocese in 2007.	View of the south tower height.	Rear of the cathedral in 2005.
The south side of the Cathedral, seen in 2006.		A gargoyle.	A waterspout, seen from the top of the north tower in 2007.
Inside the cathedral.	Detail of a stained glass	Stained glass window of the choir	Stained glass

Philately

On 8 June 1965 , the French Post issued a stamp showing the cathedral on the occasion of the 37th Congress of the French Federation of Philatelic which took place in the city.

On 13 August 1979 , a second stamp representing the towers of the cathedral is issued in the series of historical monuments.

References

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