Meaux, Cathédrale Saint-Étienne

Tabs

Images

Exterior, western frontispiece and towers

Exterior nave

Exterior transept

Exterior chevet

Interior narthex (if present) and nave

Interior crossing and transept arms

Interior chevet

Panoramas

VR Tour

Historical Images and Plans

Description

Date

Begun ca. 1180

Plan

A five aisled basilica plan with a non-projecting transept surrounded five segment hemicycle and ambulatory.

Chronology

The church results from a complex series of interventions. The older work, circa 1180's, can be found in three chapels of hemicycle. The hemicycle was modified with the addition of extra chapels from the mid to later 13th-century and the main vessel extended upwards creating the false tribune and upper stories, similarly in the nave an older structure was transformed in the 13th-century and late. The western frontispiece was finished only in the late Middle Ages.

Significance

The three chapels of the older the chevet an older architectural language with a distinct regional flavor, like that at Saint-Remy, the abbey at Lagny-sur-Marne and Troyes Cathedral. This older language was over laid with a distinctly Parisian language.

Elevation

In the nave three story elevation with soaring arcade and blind triforium and tall clerestory. The elevation of the choir has four levels, arcade, false tribune (no vaulting), triforium and clerestory. The false tribune exists in straight bays of the choir.

Location

Bibliography

Allou, A., Notice historique et descriptive sur la cathédrale de Meaux, Meaux, 1871
Desbordes, M., "La troisième champagne de fouilles sous le choeur de la cathédrale de Meaux," Bulletin monumental, vol. 127:1, 1969, pp 27-33
Deshoulières, F., La cathédrale de Meaux: Ouvrage illustré de 36 gravures et 2 plans, Paris, 1925
Formigé, J., Cathédrale de Meaux; histoire et developpements, Paris, 1917.
Kurmann, P., La cathédrale Saint-Etienne de Meaux, Geneva, 1971"La Crypte de Meaux," Bulletin monumental, vol. 127:2, 1969, pp148
Rochette, J.-C., "La cathédrale de Meaux," Amis du Musée de l'Ile-de-France. Château de Seaux. Bulletin, vol. 10, 1975, pp 31-35
Taylor, I.-J.-S., La cathédrale de Meaux, Paris, 1858