Auxerre, Cathédrale Saint-Étienne

The crypt formed part of the 11th-century church built by Bishop Hugues de Châlon. The bishop's palace was rebuilt (with Romanesque promenoir) by Bishop Hugues de Montaigu (1115-36) Construction was initiated by Guillaume de Seignelay (1207-1220) who gave 700 pounds for the first year of construction. Eodem tempore, circa novas ecclesiarum structuras, passim fervebat de novo ? populorum. Videns itaque episcopus ecclesiam suam Autissiodorensem structure antique minusque composite squalore ac senio laborare, aliis circumquaque capita sua extollentibus mira specie venustatis, eam disposuit nova structura et studioso peritorum in arce cementaria artificio decorare, ne ceteris specie studiove penitus impar esset; eamque fecit a posteriori parte funditus demoliri, ut, deposito antiquitatis veterno, in elegantiorem juvenesceret speciem novitatis. At that time the piety of the people everywhere burned for the construction of new churches; when the bishop saw that old architecture of his old cathedral was mean and old, while elsewhere other most beautiful cathedrals were being built, he decided to have a new church built and decorated most sumptuously?. Guillaume had close family ties to the Ile-de-France. Work began circa 1215; the collapse of flanking towers in 1217 led to a complete rebuilding. The original vision was of a lower structure, perhaps without flyers. The extention upwards led to the introduction of light-weight tracery flyers. The chevet is thought to have been completed 1234 when Bishop Henri de Villeneuve was buried there -- he left 1000 pounds for the work of construction. However, Titus has proposed a somewhat later completion date. The chevet was modified in the 14th century (first two piers east of the crossing rebuilt) and the buttressing modified) and heavily restored in the 19th. The lowest level of the western frontispiece was begun in the mid-13th century (south and center portal) and the south transept in the early-to-mid 14th century, but the nave and north transept remained incomplete . The nave was completed in the late 14th century with the vaults installed in the early 15th. Completion work on the north transept arm was delayed until the late 15th century finished under Bishop Jean Baillet, 1477-1513); work also resumed on the upper western frontispiece and the upper north tower was finished between 1515 and 1543.