least five churches, all of which burnt to the ground, had previously stood in the same place. In 1194, the older cathedral, which is stricter in its details, was begun on the foundations of an earlier basilica. Finished in 1233, but consecrated only in 1260 in the presence of Louis IX, it surpassed the cathedrals in Reims (Illustrations 1, 2, 3) and Amiens (Illustrations 1, 2) simply by having two completed, if dissimilar, towers. Chartres Cathedral is the first example of high Gothic architecture. It was also here in Chartres that frescos were substituted with typical Gothic glass paintings for the first time.
Western Façade, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Amiens, c. 1240–1245.
Nave, seen from the West, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Chartres, 1194–1233.
Choir, St. Pierre Cathedral, Beauvais, begun in 1225 and renovated in 1284 and 1573 after its collapse.
Three Kings and One Queen of the Old Testament, jamb figures, right side wall of the western portal called “Royal Gate”, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Chartres, c. 1194-c. 1233.
Plan of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Chartres.
Begun in 1211 by Robert de Coucy and completed in 1250, Reims Cathedral is one of the most striking creations of Gothic architecture and the most consistent example of the strict early Gothic style (Illustrations 1, 2, 3). It was erected on the ruins of a church that had been razed to the ground the previous year and was, naturally, intended to surpass the magnificence of Chartres Cathedral (Illustrations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Eventually, the kings of France would be crowned and blessed here with pomp and splendour as Christian rulers. It was finally completed in the fourteenth century. A striking characteristic of the cathedral is its western façade, which is richly decorated with reliefs and an excellent example of Gothic sculpture. The two towers are each 81 m in height and were originally supposed to be topped with spires and reach a height of 120 m.
The cathedral type that was introduced in Paris gradually prevailed in the north and south of France. Naturally, in Normandy and in the Languedoc local elements were added, which were intrinsic to the people’s character and their building tradition. Built on the ruins of an earlier Romanesque church in the former capital of Normandy, from which hailed many famous people, the cathedral was started around 1145 under the overall control of several architects and master builders (Illustrations 1, 2). The measurements are impressive: The cathedral has an overall length of 144 m; its highest tower, the Tour Saint-Romain, reaches up an imposing 82 m; the Tour Beurre, or Butter Tower, is only insignificantly lower at 75 m, and the crossing tower reaches up a sizeable 51 m.
From afar, the exterior of the particularly strange Albi Cathedral (Languedoc), which is located slightly above the city, resembles a fortress rather than a church, and is very reminiscent of the defensive constructions of the Romans. Begun in 1282, it was completed only at the beginning of the sixteenth century. Its interior and the decorative fashioning of the portals already demonstrate all characteristic peculiarities of the French Late Gothic. It is a typically southern French hall church. Its beginnings coincide with the end of the thirteenth century when the Inquisition ruled the area through murder and torture, which earned the cathedral its name “Cathedral of Hate”. The Gothic constructive principles were neglected in this building; the extravagance of the ornaments, particularly the fantastically excessive tracery resembling flickering torches, brought the late Gothic style in France the name style flamboyant.
The Coronation of the Virgin, central portal, northern transept, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Chartres, c. 1194-c. 1233.
Of the seven popes who once lived and ruled in Avignon, only four (Clement V, Benedict XII, Clement VI and Urban V) strictly obeyed the rules of their orders. The rest (John XXII, Innocent VI and Gregory XI) lived a rather worldly life. Clement VI especially loved splendour and pomp and in 1348 managed to buy the town for 80,000 florins from the Countess of Provence and Queen of Naples, Jeanne des Baux, who was charged with murdering her husband. After the deal was concluded, the countess was absolved of all guilt. Until that point the Palace of the Popes had been identical to the old palace of the bishop, which towered like a fortress above the old town of Avignon. With the papal election of 1316, John XXII came to power and began to enlarge the premises. The palace was eventually completed under popes Benedict XII with the Palais Vieux and Clement VI with the Palais Nouveau. The latter had a strong predilection for resplendent clothes. Once completed, the entire premises commanded a territory of 15,000 square metres.
The Gothic in England
The graceful delicacy of the Early Gothic left a lasting impression on England. When the main church of Canterbury burnt down in 1174, the French master builder, Willem of Sens, was entrusted with its reconstruction (Illustrations 1, 2). The eastern part, which was already completed in 1189, is the first work of the early Gothic French style. But the English were not yet ready to entirely embrace and follow it, and instead were content with applying Gothic forms on Norman foundations, or reshaping Romanesque forms in the spirit of the Gothic. They were particularly attracted to the external ornamentation, while the essential building principles became secondary. This provides the decisive reason for the special direction the development of the Gothic took in England. In essence, the Norman-Romanesque building principle and arrangement are retained and the Gothic forms merely serve as ornamentation. The lively consistency, the inner correlation of building principles and decoration are therefore lacking in the works of the Early English. The horizontal line dominates, but it is the vertical, the striving towards Heaven, that corresponds with the essence of the Gothic. The round pillars are surrounded with free standing pillars; the pointed arches taper very narrowly (lancet arch); at first, the rib vaults acquire one extra rib until eventually the star vaulting is introduced. In the ornamentation the slender and delicate are pushed to the utmost, at times even exaggerated. This style spread very quickly across the entire country, which is proof that it coincided with popular demand. But it also resulted in a certain uniformity of all buildings, which stands in contrast to the independent distinctiveness that marks each of the French works.
An example for the stylistic epoch of the Perpendicular Style is the nave of Canterbury Cathedral.
Western Façade, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Chartres, c. 1194-c. 1233.
Western Façade, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Reims, begun in 1211.
Plan of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Reims.
The last great work of Willem of Sens is Westminster Abbey in London (Illustrations 1, 2). When building commenced in 1245, a pronounced Anglo-Gothic method of construction was already established practice. Its characteristic peculiarity was a straight ending choir without ambulatory, which often was extended into a square Lady Chapel. Above the crossing, a massive square tower replaced the ridge turret. Also typical are the two transepts, the arrangement of horizontal and vertical tendencies, as well as the exuberant creation of the vaults, which in the end would indulge in excessive extravagance (net, star and fan vaults with low hanging keystones).
Salisbury
