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Version française
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HISTORY |
After a period of prosperity until the beginning of the Hundred Years War, attacks, sieges, looting started again, in particular when the town was taken, ransacked and burnt down by Edward III's army in 1346.
IHere and elsewhere at the same time
It seems, however, that the church did not suffer too much from this since, in 1355, the Bishop of Evreux and his Canons were able to find shelter here after Evreux cathedral had beeen severely damaged in consequence of a feud between king Jean II le Bon (1319 - 1364) and Charles le Mauvais (a cousin of his). Because the church has - even temporarily- been a bishop's seat, it might be entitled to be called 'a cathedral'. But this claim is immaterial!
One of the important persons connected with the Collegiate church is Queen Blanche de Navarre, daughter of the king of Navarre. She was the widow and cousin of king Philippe VI (1293 - 1350) and, by the way, the sister of Charles le Mauvais. She liked Vernon very much and often came to stay there. She had extensive works undertaken in the church, viz. the building of the Lady Chapel and she also started the lower parts of the nave and of the facade that you can see today. The heart of the Queen's - the town's and the church's benefactor- was buried in front of the main altar in 1398.
In spite of the Hundred Years' War, building never stopped, the nave was raised, then the West front and the North porch while donors were having the side chapels built.
The XVIth century religious wars, which damaged so many religious buildings, left the church relatively unharmed.
During the Renaissance period , a former chapel was transformed into a Vestry and other improvement works undertaken (in the first Northern bay and its neighbouring chapel). However important works still had to be carried out: a drawing by Joachim Duviert prooves that in 1607 the bays near the facade were already vaulted and roofed whereas those over the rest of nave were no higher than the false triforium. Vaulting was completed in 1617, as this engraving carved on the fifth buttress (North side) shows:
LE 22e MAY 1617 LA PMIERE PIERRE DU DERNIER PILLIER A ESTE ASS PAR MARTINNE FILLE DE Mr PAPPEIL CONeur ET TRESAVRIER DE CESTE EGLISE. ....................................... M.L.T. 1617
(On May 22, 1617, the first stone of the last pillar was placed by Martinne, daughter of Mr Pappeil, treasurer of this church. - - - M.L.T. 1617)
The organ was also installed at the same period.
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History [XI - XIIIth] [XIV - XVIth] [XVIII - XXth] [History] [Outside] [Inside] [Artefacts] [St Adjutor] [Stained glass] [Organ] [Links] |
