DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29899#0096
76
FRENCH ARCHITECTURE.
Part II.
that was tlie chui’ch of the Holy Trinity • and on the top of the round
towers, on one side the altar of St. Michael, on the other probably
that of Gabriel.
The little church of ISTeuvy St. Sepulchre, near Bourges, which
was erected between the years 1042 and 1046, presents precisely the
same arrangements as the church of Charroux, though on a smaller
scale, there being only one range of ten pillars in the centre. The
ancient nave having been destroyed, was replaced by a more extended
one in the 12th century, but the old arrangement can easily be traced.
In all these old churches—and they seem to have been very
common in Trance before the 12th century—the circular part was the
most important, but they have most of them been rebuilt ; and where
this has been the case, even when the outline of the circular form was
retained, the lines of the nave were made tangents of the circle, and
thus became parts of one design. All these arrangements were perfect
before the church of Conques (Woodcut No. 574) was erected. There
the architect, not being hampered by any previous building, was
allowed free scope for his design. The plan so produced was never
lost sight of by the French, but was developed into a vast variety of
beautiful forms, which we shall shortly have to examine.
When once this transformation of the round church into the chevet
termination of a basilica was effected, the French adhered to it with
singular constancy. I am not aware of their ever having built a
circular church afterwards which was intended to stand alone ; and
there are very few instances of basilicas of any importance without
this form of apse. Some, it is true, have been rebuilt on old founda-
tions, with square eastern ends, but this is rare and exceptional, the
chevet being the true and typical termination.
The church at Conques and that of Toulouse both show it fully
and beautifully developed, though externally the chapels hardly fit
pleasingly into the general design, and look more as though their
addition were an afterthought. This, however, was soon afterwards
remedied, and the transformation made complete.
The solidity with which these churches were built, and the general
narrowness of their proportions as compared with the domical churches
of the same time and district, enabled the architects occasionally to
attempt some splendid erection on the intersection of the nave and
transepts, which is the spot where height should always be aimed
at. The dome at Cruas, in the Provençal district, has already been
described (Woodcut No. 558). The church at Conques has one as
important, though dissimilar ; but the finest is that of St. Sernin at
Toulouse (Woodcut No. 578), which rivals the design of our spires at
Salisbury, Norwich, and elsewhere, but its height being only 230 ft.
from the ground, it cannot be compared with them in that respect.
The 3 lower storeys only are of the age of the church ; the 2 upper
FRENCH ARCHITECTURE.
Part II.
that was tlie chui’ch of the Holy Trinity • and on the top of the round
towers, on one side the altar of St. Michael, on the other probably
that of Gabriel.
The little church of ISTeuvy St. Sepulchre, near Bourges, which
was erected between the years 1042 and 1046, presents precisely the
same arrangements as the church of Charroux, though on a smaller
scale, there being only one range of ten pillars in the centre. The
ancient nave having been destroyed, was replaced by a more extended
one in the 12th century, but the old arrangement can easily be traced.
In all these old churches—and they seem to have been very
common in Trance before the 12th century—the circular part was the
most important, but they have most of them been rebuilt ; and where
this has been the case, even when the outline of the circular form was
retained, the lines of the nave were made tangents of the circle, and
thus became parts of one design. All these arrangements were perfect
before the church of Conques (Woodcut No. 574) was erected. There
the architect, not being hampered by any previous building, was
allowed free scope for his design. The plan so produced was never
lost sight of by the French, but was developed into a vast variety of
beautiful forms, which we shall shortly have to examine.
When once this transformation of the round church into the chevet
termination of a basilica was effected, the French adhered to it with
singular constancy. I am not aware of their ever having built a
circular church afterwards which was intended to stand alone ; and
there are very few instances of basilicas of any importance without
this form of apse. Some, it is true, have been rebuilt on old founda-
tions, with square eastern ends, but this is rare and exceptional, the
chevet being the true and typical termination.
The church at Conques and that of Toulouse both show it fully
and beautifully developed, though externally the chapels hardly fit
pleasingly into the general design, and look more as though their
addition were an afterthought. This, however, was soon afterwards
remedied, and the transformation made complete.
The solidity with which these churches were built, and the general
narrowness of their proportions as compared with the domical churches
of the same time and district, enabled the architects occasionally to
attempt some splendid erection on the intersection of the nave and
transepts, which is the spot where height should always be aimed
at. The dome at Cruas, in the Provençal district, has already been
described (Woodcut No. 558). The church at Conques has one as
important, though dissimilar ; but the finest is that of St. Sernin at
Toulouse (Woodcut No. 578), which rivals the design of our spires at
Salisbury, Norwich, and elsewhere, but its height being only 230 ft.
from the ground, it cannot be compared with them in that respect.
The 3 lower storeys only are of the age of the church ; the 2 upper