Angers Cathedral

Angers Cathedral

Nave and choir

Layout

The St. Angers Cathedral , consecrated to Mauritius ( French Saint-Maurice ), is the religious center of the city and the diocese of Angers . The building has been recognized as a monument historique since 1862 . Stylistically it can be classified between Romanesque and Gothic .

location

The cathedral is located at the highest point of the city (approx. 60  m ) approx. 400 m from the castle (château) and the river Maine . The church is not faces east , but aligned to the southeast.

History and architecture

At the beginning of the 11th century, Hubert von Vendôme , Bishop of Angers between 1006 and 1047, had a new church built with a single nave. The new cathedral was consecrated on August 16, 1025. The church burned down after just seven years and was only made usable again at the end of the 11th century by Bishop Geoffroy de Tours (1081-1093). His successors Renaud de Martigné (1102–1125) and Ulger (1125–1148) finally had the cathedral rebuilt. Under the bishops Normand de Doué (1148–1153) and Guillaume de Beaumont (1202–1240), the work continued.

The Romanesque walls of the nave were preserved halfway up. Around the middle of the 12th century the church received a gebustes ribbed vault , which was a model for many vaults of the Angevin Gothic ( Domikalgewölbe ). A little later, the transept and the choir , which were built over the late antique walls of the city, were built. The two west towers were completed in 1518 and 1523; the octagonal pavilion with a lantern in the middle tower dates from the 17th century.

• 

  Towers of the cathedral

• 

  West portal

• 

  Robe figures on the west portal

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  Tapestry

Early Gothic west portal

Dimensions

• Total length: 90.47 m
• Width of the west facade: 23 m
• Height of the ship: 24.7 m
• Width of the ship: 16.4 m
• Length of the ship: 48 m
• Tower height: 75 m

Furnishing

Among the works of art in the cathedral (see note 1) are:

• the tympanum of the west portal is influenced by the king portal of Chartres Cathedral ; it shows Christ enthroned in a mandorla and surrounded by the four winged beings of the Apocalypse ( tetramorph ),
• a wall painting from the 13th century, discovered around 1980 and depicting the life of Saint Maurilius of Angers ,
• a glass window (vitreau) in the transept, also from the 13th century, with a depiction of the life of Archbishop Julian of Toledo , is considered the main work of glass painting of that time,
• the baroque altarpiece (ciborium) from around 1758,
• several tapestries (16-18th centuries), including a series with scenes from the life of John the Baptist , and
• Pulpit (chaire) and choir stalls (stalls) (19th century)

organ

organ

The history of the organs goes back to the 14th century. Today's instrument goes back to an organ that was built in 1617 by the organ builder Jacques Girardet, probably using pipe material from the previous organ . This organ had 47 registers on three manuals. A pedal mechanism was only added in 1701. The organ case was replaced in the 18th century. In the years 1869–1872 the organ was reorganized by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll . In 1959 the instrument was electrified and expanded by 19 registers to 66 registers on three manuals and pedal.

I Positif de Dos C – g 3 Quintaton 16 ′ Montre 8th' Bourdon 8th' Unda Maris 8th' Prestant 4 ′ Flûte douce 4 ′ Fifth 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′ Duplicate 2 ′ Cornet V 8th' Fittings III Cymbals III Trumpets 8th' Cromorne 8th' Clairon 4 ′

II Grand Orgue C-g 3 Montre 16 ′ Bourdon 16 ′ Montre 8th' Bourdon 8th' Flûte harmonique 8th' Salicional 8th' Major fifth 5 1 ⁄ 3  ′ Prestant 4 ′ Flute 4 ′ Fifth 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′ Duplicate 2 ′ Tierce 1 3 ⁄ 5  ′ Grand Cornet V 16 ′ Plein-jeu IV Cymbals III Bombard 16 ′ Trumpets 8th' Clairon 4 ′ Trumpet en chamade 8th' Clairon en chamade 4 ′

III Récit expressif C – g 3 Bourdon 16 ′ Principal 8th' Quintaton 8th' Viole de gambe 8th' Voix céleste 8th' Flûte harmonique 8th' Prestant 4 ′ Flûte octaviante 4 ′ Nazard 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′ Octavine 2 ′ Tierce 1 3 ⁄ 5  ′ Fittings IV Cymbals IV Bombard 16 ′ Trumpets 8th' Basson-Hautbois 8th' Voix humaine 8th' Clairon 4 ′

Pedale C – f 1 Soubasse 32 ′ Contrebasse 16 ′ Bourdon 16 ′ Violoncello 8th' Bourdon 8th' Flute 8th' Octave 4 ′ Duplicate 2 ′ Plein-jeu IV Bombarde acoustique 32 ′ Bombard 16 ′ Trumpets 8th' Clairon 4 ′

See also

• List of the bishops of Angers
• List of cathedrals in France

Web links

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

• Cathedral website (French)
• Angers Cathedral. In: Structurae

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Angers Cathedral
2. ↑ More information about the organ

Coordinates: 47 ° 28 ′ 14 ″  N , 0 ° 33 ′ 18 ″  W.