inside3

INSIDE
12th - 13th c. Gothic

This is a temporary page...
Some pictures are still missing, this is only the first draft of the commentary, etc...
Please come back in a few weeks.

In 1136, King Louis VII besieged Vernon, launching several assaults that must have damaged the Collegiate church. In the years that followed important restoration and rebuilding work were carried out, in particular an ambulatory with cross rib vaults was created around the Romanesque choir. This was one of the very first uses of a technique - later named Gothic- which, coming from England, reached Normandy as early as the 1120, long before the builders of France discovered it. Unfortunately, this Gothic part, which would have been of highest interest for archeologists, was destroyed in the 17th and 18th centuries when the ambulatory was vaulted anew.

Later, towards 1220, the building of a tower at transept crossing was decided: to do so it was necessary to reinforce the four pillars that were to support this tower and this is why the transept crossing is now composed of two semi-circular Romanesque arches and two pointed Gothic ones, over the choir and towards the nave. According to some literature, these arcades might be the work of the architect of the church in Petit Andely (15km away from Vernon, farther down on the river Seine) .

A PHOTO of the arch will be placed here

Early Gothic

Former Lantern Tower

When erected, the tower was vaulted just below the belfry storey thus allowing light from the upper window of the the first storey to reach the transept, a typical Anglo-Norman scheme to be found in many churches and cathedrals on each side of the Channel. In the 15th century, the central part of the transept (the crossing) was vaulted, closing off the lantern storey, thus creating a room in the tower above the new vault. At church level, the new vault has six prismatic ribs that join into a large ring-shaped keystone.

A PHOTO of the vault will be placed here

When entering the church visitors cannot help noticing the high blind wall that stands in contrast with the elaborate plan and decor of the nave. This wall is actually the Western wall of the tower.
A former bay window, still visible behind the rood, used to open into the roofing of the first Romanesque church, which was far smaller and lower than today's, as everyone can easily notice.

The profile of the primitive walls can be seen on either side of the arch below the blind wall and when building the nave, the 15th century architect was careful to place his pillars as far as possible from the the older wall, so as to gain an extra 5 (French) feet (1,65m) and give the nave maximum width.

To go farther:
a few specialised pages...

Was Gothic actually born in France? How can you recognise 13th century Gothic from 14th century? etc, etc...