Soissons Cathedral
| Cathedral of Saints Gervasius and Protasius | |
|---|---|
| Cathédrale Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais | |
| File:FR-02-Soissons17.JPG
Soissons Cathedral
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Soissons, France |
| Geographic coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| District | Diocese of Soissons |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Cathedral-Basilica |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 1177 |
| Completed | 1479 |
Soissons Cathedral Basilica (Basilique Cathédrale Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais de Soissons) is a Gothic cathedral in Soissons, France. The construction of the south transept was begun about 1177, and the lowest courses of the choir in 1182.
History
The choir with its original three-storey elevation and extremely tall clerestory was completed in 1211. This was earlier than Chartres, on which the design was supposed to have been based. Work then continued into the nave until the late 13th century.[1]
The single western tower dates from the mid-13th century and is an imitation of those of Notre Dame de Paris, which it equals in height (66 m, or 216 ft). The tower was restored after it and part of the nave were severely damaged in World War I. A matching tower on the other side of the façade was originally planned, but never built.
Description
The graceful southern transept, the oldest portion of the whole edifice, terminates in an apse. Unlike the rest of the building, it is divided inside into four (rather than three) levels.
The choir end of the cathedral has stained glass from the 13th century. A tapestry from the 15th century depicts the life of the martyrs Gervasius and Protasius, the patron saints of the cathedral. Rubens' Adoration of the Shepherds hangs in the northern transept, as does a painting by Philippe de Champaigne.
Maurice Duruflé composed his work for organ "Fugue sur Audio file "ClocheCathedraleSoissons.ogg" not found de la Cathédrale de Soissons" op. 12 (1962)
Some of the stained glass windows from the Cathedrale de Soissons are on permanent exhibit at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland [2] and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, MA.[3]
Gallery
- Gallery
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West façade of Soissons Cathedral
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Soissons Cathedral south transept.jpg
Interior, choir
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Soissons Cathedral east end.jpg
East end
References
- ↑ John James, The Template-makers of the Paris Basin, Leura, 1989.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.isgm.org/collection/window_c28s2.asp
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Soissons Cathedral. |
