Bourges Cathedral

Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Bourges

inside view

The Saint-Étienne cathedral in Bourges , France, is a Gothic religious building dedicated to Saint Stephen (French: Saint-Étienne ). It is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bourges . The church was classified as a cultural monument in 1862 as a Monument historique and as such is a listed building .

Location and importance

The cathedral is located in the south-eastern part of the old town of Bourges; to the south of it is the town hall, and the Jardins de L'Archevêché city ​​park is directly adjacent.

On the threshold of High Gothic, Bourges Cathedral puts a number of innovations in the Gothic context and is therefore unique in the entire building history. The Gothic pointed arch structure has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992 and - atypical for a church of this size - has no transept. Also atypical for Gothic cathedrals is the presence of a crypt . In this is the coffin of Duke Jean de Berry .

history

Building history

Floor plan of Bourges Cathedral

Exterior view of the choir

The exact start of construction on Bourges Cathedral is unknown. However, it is recorded that Archbishop Henri de Sully (1183–1199) bequeathed a considerable sum to the parish in 1195, so this year is considered the founding date of the church. It was his decision to have the cathedral rebuilt. The construction of the apse and the excavation of the Gallo-Roman ramparts began. King Philip II August approved this decision. Henri de Sully provided the court fees for the construction project and sent helpers to the area of ​​the ecclesiastical province to collect donations.

Because the floor plan and the vault show certain parallels to Notre Dame de Paris , it was originally believed that the site manager had moved in from Paris . The lack of a transept in the Bourges church and completely different elevations cast this assumption into doubt. It is now assumed that the site manager is from Île-de-France in northern France.

Construction of the choir began in January 1209 and was completed in 1214. A year later, the shell of the chancel was completed and work began on the tall window panes. Due to technical and financial difficulties, construction stalled under the pontificate of Simon de Sully (1218–1236) for about ten years. In 1225 work on the building was resumed; the debt could not be ended until 1250. At this point in time the nave and the main facade were partially completed, and the two church towers were roughly level with the largest vaults. In 1259 a fire broke out, which led to the towers being lowered due to weak foundations. Therefore it was decided not to build the two towers higher. The building, which had been unfinished for a long time, showed signs of collapse in 1313. Weather influences and seepage water damaged the south tower so massively that King Philip IV the Fair had the structure fortified with a donation of 40 pounds , thus preventing the vaults from collapsing. The cathedral was inaugurated in 1324 by Archbishop Guillaume de Brosse. In the 14th century, Duke Jean de Berry had the architect Guy de Dammartin complete the main facade and add the large windows. On December 31, 1506 the north tower and the adjacent vault collapsed. Architect Guillaume Pelvoysin repaired this damage 30 years later. The new tower in the flamboyant style was 65 meters taller and higher than the "deaf" south tower.

In 1565 armed Huguenots occupied the city and devastated the church heavily. They smashed the statues of the apostles in the main portal and tried, albeit in vain, to set fire to the cathedral. In the 18th century the choir was redesigned by the sculptors Slodtz and Vassé. To increase its validity, the canons removed the rood screen in 1757 and six church windows in 1760. Thirty years later, during the turmoil of the French Revolution , these innovations were destroyed and the furniture of the church dissolved. Renovation work had become inevitable since the beginning of the 19th century. The technical renovations of the sculptures and church windows were carried out flawlessly, but this work was also characterized by the unnecessary addition of battlements and parapets .

The cathedral has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992 . Since 1998 it has also been listed as part of the World Heritage Site “ Camino de Santiago in France” ( Via Lemovicensis ).

Coronations

Bourges Cathedral played a special role in the coronation of kings. The marriage of Louis VII in 1137 with Eleanor of Aquitaine and the divorce in 1151 put the city in an important strategic position against Aquitaine and the English influence. Louis VII and his court stayed in Bourges very often and held two coronation ceremonies in the cathedral at Christmas 1137 and 1145 . He granted the cathedral chapter of Saint-Etienne documented privileges. This document was decorated with the gold rings of Ludwig VII and that of his son and successor Philip II August and was kept in the main altar. However, this document did not survive the revolution.

In 1418 Crown Prince Karl was the son of Charles VI. forced to seek refuge in Bourges Cathedral. In mid-April 1422 he married Maria von Anjou in the Saint-Etienne cathedral, on July 5, 1423 his child was baptized Crown Prince Louis (later: Louis XI. ) And was finally crowned there on November 1, 1424. The English called him the "King of Bourges".

layout

Tympanum of the west portal with Christ in the mandorla

Longhouse inside, wall construction

Due to the relatively short construction time, the cathedral is considered to be unusually homogeneous. In many respects, the architect of Bourges Cathedral treaded completely new, unconventional paths.

First of all, there is a consistently five-aisle design with no transepts at all . This results in a very uniform exterior and an interior that is not divided. The real peculiarity is the staggering of the aisles , whereby the three-part wall structure of the central nave is in principle repeated 16 meters lower in the inner aisle. Only the outer aisle, which is quite low at 9 meters, is kept simpler with a lancet window . Furthermore, the inner aisle - although 12 meters higher - is still narrower than the outer one.

On the one hand, this structure causes a special brightness. This is caused by the windows at the “middle” height, which have a greater horizontal distance from the central axis than would be the case in the central nave. On the other hand, Bourges creates a very special feeling of space, the inner aisles are a constant volume behind the space in the central nave. Overall, the interior appears wider, more airy, but also more multi-layered, more recursive than is the case with the much more common classic basilica types such as Chartres, which was built at the same time .

The use of “old-fashioned” six-part vaults in the central nave is also striking . A further innovation in this context are end-to-end services ; a capital is only hinted at. A big increase in the direction of shown constructiveness. As a consequence, we only find this again in buildings of the next generation such as Troyes , Strasbourg or the expansion of the Saint-Denis basilica , until it finally becomes customary ( Cologne , Vienna, etc.).

On the outer body of the building, the almost dainty buttress is striking , which gives a good view of the actual cathedral body. In addition to the windows, the inner and outer aisles show so-called blind arcades to loosen up the areas that are being created.

West facade

The west facade prominently indicates the five aisles behind it through five gates and thus differs considerably from the Paris solution, where the five aisles are negated by a three-part facade. Unfortunately, the facade now looks rather inhomogeneous due to the originally lacking means for completion, later corrections, completion attempts and destruction of various kinds and is also difficult to understand due to the urban development.

The west facade has a total of five portals. From right to left, they are dedicated to Ursinus de Bourges , Saint Etienne, the Last Judgment , the Virgin Mary and Saint Guillaume. The middle portal is the largest and most richly decorated. Its tympanum and archivolt represent the Last Judgment in accordance with the dedication of the portal. The representation is divided into three parts: in the bottom line, the dead stand up, who lift their grave slabs in order to get up again in naked and rediscovered youth. Above it is shown the Archangel Michael , who separates the elect from the damned. At the top, Jesus towers over the scene as both judge and victim. He shows his wounds and is supported by two angels carrying passion instruments.

crypt

The cathedral of Bourges has a crypt , which is very atypical for Gothic buildings , which is explained by the fact that the stately dimensions of the building go beyond the original city limits and beyond the former Roman city ​​wall , which made it necessary to have a height difference of several meters through underpinning cope with masonry.

Dimensions

Astronomical clock

• External length: 125 m
• Inside length: 118 m
• Outside width of the nave: 45 m (inside 41 meters)
  • Width of the west portal: 55 m, with buttresses: 73.45 m
• Height of the north tower: 65 m
• Height of the nave including the hipped roof : 55 m
• Vault heights of the ships: 38, 18 and 9 m
• Base area: 5900 m ²

Furnishing

Originally the cathedral had a rich set of furniture, which was largely destroyed or stolen during the French Revolution . The tomb of the Duke of Berry , erected by Jean de Cambrai (around 1355–1438) among others , was also destroyed ; In addition to the lying figure of the duke, only some of the 25 figures of mourners known today have survived. Two praying figures of the Duke and his second wife Jeanne d'Auvergne , also attributed to Cambrai and originally set up in the burial chapel of the Palace of Bourges, had their heads cut off during the Revolution, which were later based on drawings by Hans Holbein the Elder. J. were reproduced.

Astronomical grandfather clock

Bourges Cathedral contains the oldest astronomical pendulum clock in France. It is dated to the year 1424 and goes back to the canon and mathematician Jean Fusoris and the painter Jean d'Orléans. The dial features a detailed star map and a bell ringing that plays the first notes of the Salve Regina . The mechanism has been preserved in its original state. The clock was restored in 1994.

organ

The first organ was built at the end of the 15th century. Today's instrument was planned according to a concept by Marie-Claire Alain in the years 1971–1985 and built by the organ builder Alfred Kern & fils . The instrument has 51 stops on four manuals and a pedal. The actions are mechanical.

I Grand Orgue C-g 3 1. Montre 16 ′ 2. Montre 08th' 3. Dessus de Flûte 08th' 4th Bourdon 08th' 5. Prestant 04 ′ 6th Flûte à Fuseau 04 ′ 7th Big Tierce 03 1 ⁄ 5  ′ 8th. Nasard 02 2 ⁄ 3  ′ 9. Fourth 02 ′ 10. Tierce 01 3 ⁄ 5  ′ 11. Flageolet 01' 12. Fittings V. 13. Cymbals IV 14th Grand Cornet V 15th 1st trumpet 08th' 16. 2nd trumpet 08th' 17th Clairon 04 ′ 18th Trumpets en ch. (D) 08th'

II positive C-g 3 19th Bourdon 08th' 20th Prestant 04 ′ 21st Duplicate 02 ′ 22nd Nazard 02 2 ⁄ 3  ′ 23. Tierce 01 3 ⁄ 5  ′ 24. Larigot 01 1 ⁄ 3  ′ 25th Fittings IV 0 26th Cymbals III 27. Trumpets 08th' 28. Trumpets 04 ′ 29 Cromorne 08th' Tremblant

III Recit expressif C – g 3 30th Viol 8th' 31. Voix Celeste 8th' 32. Flûte harmonique 0 8th' 33. Flûte octaviante 4 ′ 34. Ocatvin 2 ′ 35. Cornet V 36. Trumpets 8th' 37. Basson-Hautbois 8th' 38. Voix humaine 8th' 39. Clairon 4 ′ Tremblant IV echo c 1 -g 3 40. Cornet V 41. Trumpets 0000000 8th'

Pedale C – f 1 42. Flute 16 ′ 43. Flute 08th' 44. Gros Nasard 05 1 ⁄ 3  ′ 45. Flute 04 ′ 46. Big Tierce 0 03 1 ⁄ 5  ′ 47. Flute 02 ′ 48. Fittings IV 49. Bombard 16 ′ 50. Trumpets 08th' 51. Clairon 04 ′

Perception in art

Bell by Jean de Valois, duc de Berry on the north tower

Together with the Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral, which was built at the same time, Bourges stands at the beginning of the so-called High Gothic . In addition to this one and Notre-Dame de Paris , it is the third Gothic building with such dimensions, which are slowly becoming the norm. Although Bourges is architecturally at least as innovative as Chartres, the cathedral is nowhere near its style. At most, the buildings in Le Mans , Coutances , Toledo and Burgos can be named as influenced. Furthermore, an effect on the design of Amiens and Beauvais was often mentioned .

The French writer Marie d'Agoult described Bourges Cathedral as follows in 1837:

“Bourges Cathedral is the most perfect Gothic structure I know. When I entered the church, I was awestruck and seized with a feeling of infinity. "

But also other romantic writers from France expressed themselves in admiring descriptions of the cathedral. These include: Victor Hugo and George Sand 1831, Stendhal 1837 or Alphonse de Lamartine 1849.

Bells

The cathedral's largest bell, the great Bourdon Gros Guillaume , weighs 6,080 kg and replaces a bell (Etienne) from 1829, which was damaged during the midnight mass at Christmas 1838. To prevent this event from happening again, it is only used on high festivals . The 1372 bell is the cathedral's oldest bell and is located on the top of the north tower. Cast in a shortened rib, it takes on the function of the clock bell.

No.	Surname	Casting year	Caster	Diameter (mm)	Mass (kg)	Chime
1	Gros Guillaume	after 1838		2.130	6,080	f 0
2	Henri and Zita	1933	Paccard	1,800	3,471	a 0
3	Marie-Therèse	1828	Isidore Cornevin	1,500	1,830	c 1
4th	Daniel and Mathilde	1933	Paccard	1,350	1,463	d 1
5	Célestine and Martine	1933	Paccard	1,120	846	f 1
6th	Louise	1933	Paccard	1,000	613	g 1
I.	Duc Jean Berry	1372

literature

• Jean-Yves Ribault: The Saint-Etienne Cathedral in Bourges . Ouest-France, Rennes 1996, ISBN 2-7373-2165-4 .
• Jean-Yves Ribault: Un chef-d'œuvre gothique: La cathédrale de Bourges . Anthèse, Arcueil 1995, ISBN 2-904420-78-9 .
• François Thomas: Au grand Matin: Le vitrail du Jugement dernier de la cathédrale de Bourges . Mame, Paris 1992, ISBN 2-7289-0505-3 .

Web links

Commons : Bourges Cathedral  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Photos of the cathedral in the "Photo album of the cathedrals"
• www.bourges.fr: Bourges cathedral (engl.)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Entry on the website of the UNESCO World Heritage Center ( English and French ).
2. ^ ^{A b} Ribault: The Saint-Etienne Cathedral in Bourges , p. 8.
3. ^ Ribault: The Saint-Etienne Cathedral in Bourges , p. 5.
4. ^ Ribault: The Saint-Etienne Cathedral in Bourges , p. 9.
5. ^ Ribault: The Saint-Etienne Cathedral in Bourges , p. 10.
6. ^ Ribault: The Saint-Etienne Cathedral in Bourges , p. 28.
7. ↑ Bourges Cathedral. In: Structurae
8. ↑ Jan Bialostocki: Late Middle Ages and the beginning of the modern age , Propylaea Art History Volume 7, Berlin 1972, p. 275.
9. ^ Ribault: The Saint-Etienne Cathedral in Bourges , p. 27.
10. ↑ Hans Holbein the Younger: Jeanne de Boulogne, Duchess of Berry .
11. ↑ and the one created by Jean Fusoris ( Memento des Originals from December 20, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Astrolabes (Engl.) 
12. ↑ To the disposition
13. ↑ In detail on the history and disposition of the organ
14. ^ Ribault: The Saint-Etienne Cathedral in Bourges , p. 19.
15. ↑ ^{a b c} Roland Narboux: Les cloches de la cathédrale de Bourges .
16. ^ Bells of Bourges Cathedral (Cloches de la cathédrale de Bourges); May 13, 2010 (Ascension Day) on YouTube .

Coordinates: 47 ° 4 ′ 56 "  N , 2 ° 23 ′ 57"  E