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135-466: French scholars divide the Gothic of their country into four phases: British and American historians use similar periods. French scholars divide the Gothic of their country into four phases: British and American historians use similar periods. The French style was widely copied in other parts of northern Europe, particularly Germany and England. It was gradually supplanted as the dominant French style in

270-475: A Gothic plan with Renaissance decoration. In the course of the 17th century, the French classical style of François Mansart began to dominate; then, under Louis XIV, the grand French classical style, practiced by Jules Hardouin-Mansart , Louis Le Vau , and Claude Perrault , took center stage. Landmarks of the Gothic style, such as Notre-Dame, were modified with new interiors designed in the new style. Following

405-559: A distinctive regional Gothic style. It was begun in 1162 under King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine . Its distinctive features, like those of Angevin Gothic, include convex vaults with ribs in decorative designs. Burgundy also had its own version of Gothic, found in Nevers Cathedral (1211–1331), Dijon Cathedral (1280–1325), Chalon Cathedral (1220–1522), and Auxerre Cathedral (13th-16th century). The Burgundian Gothic tended to be more sober and monumental than

540-490: A flamboyant gothic ceiling. During the Middle Ages Prosperous French cities competed to build the largest cathedral or the highest tower. One of the drawbacks of French Gothic architecture was its cost; it required many skilled craftsmen working for decades. Due to downturns in the economy, a number of French cathedrals were begun but never finished. They also sometimes suffered when the ambitions of

675-408: A framework of stone armatures often in an ornate floral pattern, to help them resist the wind. Gothic windows were in a stone frame separate from the wall, not cut into the wall. The early windows were made of pieces of tinted glass, touched up with grisaille painting, and held in place by pieces of lead that outlined the figures. As the windows grew larger, more intense colors were used. After 1260,

810-565: A modern iron framework. Jules Verne was married in the church in 1857. The Gothic style emerged from innovative use of existing technologies, particularly the pointed arch and the rib vault . The rib vault was known in the earlier Romanesque period , but it was not widely or effectively used until the Gothic period. The crossed ribs of the vault carried the weight outwards and downwards, to clusters of supporting pillars and columns. The earlier rib vaults, used at Sens Cathedral and Notre-Dame Cathedral , had six compartments bordered by ribs and

945-491: A modern palace with a large park on what was then the edge of the city. It featured a central pavilion with low wings composed of arcades topped by a residential floor with alternating dormer windows under triangular frontons. All the facades were lavishly decorated in the Italian Renaissance style , including elongated sculpted figures inspired by the works of Michelangelo . After the death of Delorme in 1570,

1080-589: A neo-Gothic residence for Napoleon III . This project was incomplete when Napoleon III was overthrown in 1870, but can be visited today. A large part of the Gothic architectural heritage of France, particularly the churches and monasteries, had been damaged or destroyed during the Revolution. Of the 300 churches in Paris in the 16th century, only 97 still were standing in 1800. The Basilica of St Denis had been stripped of its stained glass and monumental tombs, while

1215-465: A new choir at the east end of the building, using the pointed arch and the rib vault in the construction of the choir and the ambulatory with radiating chapels. The use of rib vaults, and buttresses outside supporting the walls, allowed the elimination of the traditional walls between the chapels, and the installation of large stained glass windows. This gave the ambulatory a striking openness, light, and greater height. The builders then constructed

1350-409: A new kind of roof, called a comble brisé , which had two different angles of slope. It was crowned with a ridge of ornament. The sculptural decoration on the facade, by Jean Goujon was especially remarkable. On the two lower levels, it was discreet, composed of inlays of polychrome marble and medallions with sculpted garlands. However, on the attic or top floor, he lavishly covered every part of

1485-509: A new wing, the Aile de la Belle Chiminée (wing of the beautiful chimney). The facade was designed by Francesco Primaticcio and featured a combination of Italian and French elements; pilasters, statues in niches, a high roof with lucarnes, a central frontispiece resembling Italian church architecture, and two diverging stairways. The second plan of the Château de Verneuil (since demolished) by

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1620-766: A prominent feature of the French Renaissance style. As the French Court settled in Loire Valley, the courtiers and ministers built or rebuilt palatial residences nearby. The Château d'Azay-le-Rideau (1518–1527) was constructed on an island in the Ile River by Gilles Berthelot, a wealthy banker from Tours , who was president of the Chamber of Accounts, Receiver-General of Finances, and Treasurer of France. From 1518 to 1524, dykes were dug to stabilize

1755-633: A single drawbridge. The entrance was also protected by a portcullis , which could be opened and closed. The walls at the bottom were often sloping, and protected with earthen barriers. A surviving example is the Château de Dourdan in the Seine-et-Marne department, near Nemours . After the end of the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453), with improvements in artillery, the castles lost most of their military importance. They remained as symbols of

1890-604: A single style. Most, like Notre-Dame, have a combination of features constructed in several different periods, as well as features constructed after the Gothic age. Also, different sources give varying dates for time periods. This list primarily uses the time periods given in LaRousse encyclopedia on-line and the on-line Pedagogical Dossier of Gothic Architecture of the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine , Paris. French Renaissance architecture French Renaissance architecture

2025-585: A spire surrounded by smaller towers, and its windows are decorated with ornate accolades or ornamental arches. Similarly, flamboyant town halls were found in Arras , Douai , and Saint-Quentin, Aisne , and across the border in Belgium in Brussels and Bruges . Unfortunately, many of the finest buildings were destroyed during World War I, due to their proximity to the front lines. Gothic features also appeared in

2160-688: A starry vault whose complex organization preceded by more than a century the Flamboyant Gothic. Tradition refers to this masterpiece as "palm tree" because the veins gush out of the smooth shaft of the column, like the fronds of palm trees. The largest civic building built in the Gothic style in France was the Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes) in Avignon , constructed between 1252 and 1364, when

2295-473: A supporting arcade, allowing even higher walls and more windows. At Reims, the buttresses were given greater weight and strength by the addition of heavy stone pinnacles on top. These were often decorated with statues of angels, and became an important decorative element of the High Gothic style. Another practical and decorative element, the gargoyle , appeared; it was an ornamental rain spout that channeled

2430-409: A triple portal, decorated with columns in the form of statues of apostles and saints around the doorways, and biblical scenes crowded with statuary over the doorways. This triple portal was adopted by all the major cathedrals. A tympanum over the portal, crowded with sculptural figures illustrating a biblical story became a feature of Gothic cathedrals. Following the example of Amiens, the tympanum over

2565-414: A wide variety of decorative plaques and sculptural decoration on the facades, usually borrowed from ancient Greek or Roman models. These included the caryatide , elaborate cartouches , renommées , relief statues representing Fame , over doorways, grotesques , often in the form of satyrs and griffons , and sculpted draperies and garlands. They also often included stylized monograms of the initials of

2700-535: Is Albi Cathedral in the Tarn Department , built between 1282 and 1480. It was originally constructed as a fortress, then transformed into a church. Due to a lack of suitable stone, it was constructed almost entirely of brick, and is one of the largest brick buildings in the world. In the Jacobins church of Toulouse , the grafting of a single apse of polygonal plan on a church with two vessels gave birth to

2835-688: Is 52 meters high, the tallest military tower in Europe. In the Phillipienne castle, other towers, usually round, were placed at the corners and along the walls, close enough together to support each other. The walls had two levels of walkways on the inside, an upper parapet with openings ( créneaux ) from which soldiers could watch or fire arrows on besiegers below; narrow openings ( merlons ) through which they could be sheltered as they fired arrows; and floor openings ( mâchicoulis ), from which they could drop rocks, burning oil or other objects on

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2970-461: Is a style which was prominent between the late 15th and early 17th centuries in the Kingdom of France . It succeeded French Gothic architecture . The style was originally imported from Italy after the Hundred Years' War by the French kings Charles VII , Louis XI , Charles VIII , Louis XII and François I . Several notable royal châteaux in this style were built in the Loire Valley , notably

3105-431: Is bristling with lucarnes , chimneys and small towers. The interior is symmetrical; the large central open space had as is centrepiece, the double spiral stairway. Ornament inspired by northern Italy predominates in the interior, in the form of a vaulted ceiling with carved decoration in each vault; sculpted capitals on the columns; and cul-de-lampes , or sculpted decoration on the base of columns and arches where they met

3240-522: Is found in the interior of Angers Cathedral (1032–1523), though many of the Gothic elements of the facade were replaced with Renaissance elements and towers. A fine example of Angevin Gothic is found in the medieval Saint Jean Hospital in Angers, which now contains the Musée Jean-Lurçat, a museum of contemporary tapestries. Poitiers Cathedral in the historic province of Maine also features

3375-455: Is known of the early life of William of Sens. It is believed that he learned the skills of cathedral construction working on Sens Cathedral , the first complete Gothic cathedral in France, built between 1135 and 1148, shortly before Notre-Dame de Paris . William is believed to have known other early Gothic buildings at Notre-Dame de Paris, Soissons , Rheims , Cambrai , Arras , and at Notre-Dame la Grande, Valenciennes (begun 1171, destroyed in

3510-457: Is the Château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye . The facade was entirely redone and, unlike the earlier châteaux, it was given an Italianate flat terrace roof lined with large stone vases with an emerging caved flame. Other notable châteaux of this period include the Château d'Ancy-le-Franc (1538–1546) in Burgundy. The second period of French Renaissance architecture commenced in about 1540, late in

3645-558: The Arch of Septimius Severus in Rome, crowned with four statues of fame, as well as the King and Queen. The vault of the arch and the entablement are richly decorated with sculptural decoration of olive leaves and other classical themes, and with tablets of black and white marble. The tall, slender columns give the tomb an exceptional lightness and grace. After the death of King Henry II , France

3780-452: The Château de Chenonceau . The bridge over the Cher river had been built by Philibert Delorme. After his death in 1570, Catherine asked Jean Bullant to build a picturesque gallery (1576) atop the bridge. A much larger ensemble of buildings around the bridge was planned by Bullant, but was never built. William of Sens William of Sens or Guillaume de Sens (died 11 August 1180)

3915-482: The Château de Montsoreau , the Château de Langeais , the Château d'Amboise , the Château de Blois , the Château de Gaillon and the Château de Chambord , as well as, closer to Paris , the Château de Fontainebleau . This style of French architecture had two distinct periods. During the first period, between about 1491 and 1540, the Italian style was copied directly, often by Italian architects and craftsmen. In

4050-523: The Crusades . The new kind of fortification was called Phillipienne, after Philippe Auguste , who had taken part in the Crusades. The new fortifications were more geometric, usually square, with a high main donjon or tower, in the center, which could be defended even if the walls of the castle were captured. The donjon of the Château de Vincennes , begun by Philip VI of France , is a good example. It

4185-695: The Flamboyant Gothic style . However, a few classical elements introduced during the Renaissance appeared in churches. Examples include the classical portals of the churches of Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois , directly across from the new Lescot Wing of the Louvre, and Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs in Paris. The latter was borrowed directly from the Palace of Tournelles, designed by Philibert Delorme . The church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont (1530–1552), near

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4320-701: The French Revolution ). His later life in England was chronicled by the monk Gervase of Canterbury , who wrote an account of the destruction by fire of the choir of Canterbury Cathedral in 1174. After the fire, the Chapter of the Cathedral organised a commission of English and French architects to recommend the best way to rebuild the choir. The ideas of William, and most likely his work on Sens Cathedral, resulted in his assignment to rebuild and enlarge

4455-577: The Italian Renaissance , which he judged far superior to that of his own medieval palace in Amboise . An anti-French coalition of armies forced him to retreat from Naples, but he took with him twenty-two skilled Italian craftsmen, including gardeners, sculptors, architects and engineers, including the scholar and architect Fra Giocondo and the architect and illustrator Domenico da Cortona , whom he assigned to remake his château in Amboise . In 1453, at

4590-509: The Pantheon in Paris, has a Gothic choir, but a facade with a classical pediment, balustrades with classical columns and a remarkable rood , or bridge, crossing the nave. The Church of Saint-Eustache (1532–1640), in the center of Paris, was begun by François I and is second in size only to Notre-Dame among Paris churches. It is a hybrid of Flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance styles. The exterior, plan and vaulted ceiling are Gothic, but

4725-522: The Île-de-France , not far north of Paris where, in 1137, the Abbé Suger began the reconstruction of the Carolingian -era abbey church. Just to the west of the original church, he began building a new structure with two towers, and then, from 1140 to 1144, he began to reconstruct the old church. Most of his modifications were traditional, but he made one remarkable innovation; he decided to create

4860-542: The 18th century. The best surviving examples are in Chartres Cathedral , in its original form, and in Amiens Cathedral , which was reconstructed in 1894. The portal sculpture of Burgundy integrates classical literary elements with its 13th-century Gothic style. In Auxerre , two such examples of sculptures are upon the cathedral of Saint-Étienne depicting Hercules , a satyr, and a sleeping faun;

4995-523: The Bible, but also included stories and figures from mythology and more complicated symbols taken from medieval philosophical and scientific teachings such as alchemy . The exteriors of cathedrals and other Gothic churches were decorated with sculptures of a variety of fabulous and frightening grotesques or monsters. These included the gargoyle , the chimera , the dragon , the tarasque , and others, taken largely from legend and mythology. They were part of

5130-582: The Biblical figures on the facade of Notre-Dame were beheaded, under the false belief that they were statues of the French Kings. Under Napoleon Bonaparte , the cathedrals were returned to the church, but were left in a lamentable state of repair. In the 13th century, the design of the chateau fort , or castle, was modified, based on the Byzantine and Moslem castles the French knights had seen during

5265-489: The Carmes-Deschaussé (1613–1620) on rue Vaugirard in Paris, and especially the church of St-Gervais-et-St-Protais by Salomon de Brosse (1615–21) with a facade based on the superposition of the three orders of classical architecture, represented the new model. However, the Gothic style remained prominent in new churches. The Church of Saint Eustache in Paris (1532–1640), which rivaled Notre-Dame in size, combined

5400-572: The Chartres– Reims cathedral's north transept illustrates the biblical tale of David and Bathsheba . The Sens Cathedral 's "Coronation of the Virgin" reflects a similar relief cathedral on the Notre Dame in Paris, and was created in a workshop that made minor contributions to Spanish Gothic architecture . Because of the lengthy period of construction of Gothic cathedrals, few were built in

5535-438: The Gothic style. Sens Cathedral was soon followed by Senlis Cathedral (begun 1160), and the most prominent of all, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris (begun 1160). Their builders abandoned the traditional plans and introduced the new Gothic elements. The builders of Notre Dame went further by introducing the flying buttress, heavy columns of support outside the walls connected by arches to the walls, which received and counterbalanced

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5670-559: The Interior Minister, François Guizot , a professor of history at the Sorbonne. In 1833, Prosper Mérimée became its second Inspector, and by far the most energetic and long-lasting. He held the position for twenty-seven years. Under Louis Philippe, French Gothic architecture was officially recognized as a treasure of French culture. Under Mérimée's direction, the first efforts to restore major Gothic monuments began. In 1835,

5805-494: The Italian campaign, Charles VIII had begun rebuilding the Château d'Amboise , turning it from a medieval castle into a more comfortable residence, with two wings and a chapel. He returned from Italy to Amboise in March 1496, where nearly two hundred stonemasons and ninety other skilled craftsmen were already at work. Much of the building was already done in the earlier Medieval style , with high lucarnes flanked by pinnacles on

5940-727: The Loire Valley an ideal place of refuge. He was crowned in Reims following the Johan of Arc epic battles that began the departure of the English from the whole kingdom. The middle of the 15th century was a key period for the Loire Valley in the history of France and its architectural heritage. The greats of the kingdom settled in the region, fitting out medieval fortresses or erecting new buildings. Charles VII resided in Chinon , which remained

6075-615: The Popes fled the political chaos and wars enveloping Rome. Given the complicated political situation, it combined the functions of a church, a seat of government and a fortress. In the 15th century, following the Late Gothic or Flamboyant period, some elements of Gothic decoration borrowed from cathedrals began to appear in civil architecture, particularly in the region of Flanders in northern France, and in Paris. The Hôtel de Ville of Compiègne has an imposing Gothic bell tower, featuring

6210-560: The Rayonnant Gothic are the two rose windows on the north and south of the transept of Notre-Dame Cathedral , whereas earlier rose windows, like those of Amiens Cathedral , were framed by stone and occupied only a portion of the wall, these two windows, with a delicate lacelike framework, occupied the entire space between the pillars. The Flamboyant Gothic style appeared beginning about 1350 and lasted until about 1500. Its characteristic features were more exuberant decoration, as

6345-521: The accident was "The vengeance of God or the spite of the Devil." He tried for a time to direct the reconstruction from his sickbed. He completed the eastern portion of construction but finally decided to return to France, where he died in 1180. The work on Canterbury Cathedral was completed by another architect, known only as William the Englishman , who followed his plans. The second William completed

6480-411: The architects exceeded their technical skills. One example was Beauvais Cathedral . Its patrons and architects sought to build the tallest church in the world. with a vaulted choir 48 meters high, taller than its nearby competitor, Amiens Cathedral , at 42 meters. Work began in 1225 but the roof of the vault was too heavy for the walls, and partially collapsed in 1272. They thickened the walls and rebuilt

6615-536: The besiegers. The upper walls also had protected protruding balconies, échauguettes and bretèches , from which soldiers could see what was happening at the corners or on the ground below. In addition, the towers and walls were pierced with narrow vertical slits, called meurtrières , through which archers could fire arrows. In later castles, the slits took the form of crosses, so that archers could fire arbalètes , or crossbows , in different directions. Castles were surrounded by deep moats , spanned by

6750-489: The ceiling, both for greater support and decorative effect. Notable examples of Flamboyant Gothic include the western facade of Rouen Cathedral and Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes in Paris, both built in the 1370s; and the Choir of Mont Saint Michel Abbey (about 1448). The most famous examples of Gothic architecture are found in the Île-de-France and Champagne , but other French regions created their own original versions of

6885-430: The central door of Notre-Dame features a statue of a woman on a throne holding a sceptre in her left hand, and in her right hand, two books, one open (symbol of public knowledge), and the other closed (esoteric knowledge), along with a ladder with seven steps, symbolizing the seven steps alchemists followed in their scientific quest of trying to transform ordinary metal into gold. Another common feature of Gothic cathedrals

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7020-537: The central portal traditionally depicted the Last Judgement , the right portal showed the coronation of the Virgin Mary, and the left portal showed the lives of saints who were important in the diocese. Large stained glass windows and rose windows were another defining feature of the Gothic style. Some Gothic windows, like those at Chartres, were cut into the stone walls. Other windows, such as those in

7155-399: The chapel of Sainte-Chapelle , attached to the royal residence on the Palais de la Cité . An elaborate system of exterior columns and arches reduced the walls of the upper chapel to a thin framework for the enormous windows. The weight of each of the masonry gables above the archivolt of the windows also helped the walls to resist the thrust and to distribute the weight. Other landmarks of

7290-412: The chapels of Notre-Dame and Reims, were in stone frames installed into the walls. The most common form was an oculus, a small round window with two lancets, or windows with pointed arches, just below it. The rose window was the most famous type of the Gothic style. They were placed in the transepts and the portals to provide light to the nave. The largest rose windows were ten meters in diameter. They had

7425-432: The choir of Canterbury Cathedral. William is responsible for the choir eastwards of the crossing and for the western transept . William planned the choir, as well as other parts of the structure which are still in place, including the flying buttresses copied from the early Gothic cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris . He introduced the six-part rib vault to the building, a key feature of Gothic architecture, which support

7560-400: The church of Saint Séverin in Paris was among the first to undergo restoration, followed in 1836 by Sainte-Chapelle , which had been turned into a storage house for government archives after the Revolution. The restoration of Saint-Chapelle as led by Félix Duban with Jean-Baptiste Antoine Lassus and a young Eugène Viollet-le-Duc . In 1843, Lassus and Viollet-le-Duc won the competition for

7695-414: The church walls, and between the arcades below and the windows above. This allowed for greater height and thinner walls and contributed to the strong impression of verticality given by the newer Cathedrals. The second major innovation of the Gothic style was the flying buttress , which was first used at Notre-Dame Cathedral . This transferred the thrust of the weight of the roof outside the walls, where it

7830-437: The colors became lighter, and the combination of grisaille and pale shades of yellow became more common. Chartres Cathedral and Le Mans Cathedral have some of the finest surviving original windows. The Gothic cathedral was a liber pauperum , literally a "book for the poor", covered with sculpture illustrating biblical stories, for the vast majority of parishioners who were illiterate. These largely illustrated stories from

7965-524: The columns on the courtyard, and the sculpture in light relief, showed the Italian influence. The arrival of François I in Blois, accompanied by his court and a large contingent of artists, made that château the centre of the French Renaissance. It became his principal residence and he devoted much of his effort on rebuilding the north wing, called the Loges , where his apartments were located. The architecture

8100-423: The construction of the Château de Langeais at the end of the promontory, a hundred meters in front of the 10th century dungeon. In 1494, Charles VIII led a large army into Italy to capture Naples , which had been seized by Alfonso V of Aragon . He passed through Turin , Milan and Florence , and retook Naples on 22 February 1495. In that city he discovered the lavish gardens and the new architectural style of

8235-423: The creation of the loggia and the passageway, which divided up the courtyard, and the street gate. Much polychrome interplay (brick/stone) and various ornaments (cabochons, diamonds, masks) evoke luxury, surprise and abundance, themes peculiar to Mannerist architecture. The Renaissance had less influence on French religious architecture; cathedrals and churches, for the most part, continued to be built or rebuilt in

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8370-475: The crossing arch, which transferred the weight to alternating columns and pillars. A new innovation appeared during the High Gothic: the four-part rib vault, which was used in Chartres Cathedral , Amiens Cathedral and Reims Cathedral . The ribs of this vault distributed the weight more equally to the four supporting pillars below and established a closer connection between the nave and the lower portions of

8505-471: The east wing of the lower court, and decorated it with the first famous horseshoe-shaped staircase. In the oval court, they transformed the loggia planned by François into a Salle des Fêtes or grand ballroom with a coffered ceiling. They designed a new building, the Pavillon des Poeles , to contain the new apartments of the King. The painters Primaticcio and Niccolò dell'Abbate continued their decoration of

8640-477: The eastern portion of the church, including the vaults of the choir, the eastern transept, the Trinity Chapel, and chapel of Thomas Becket. It was finished in 1184, not long after William of Sens's death. The former's plans were changed by the latter to include a triforium-gallery based on the example of Laon Cathedral's . William designed a small domed chapel at the far eastern end of the Cathedral as

8775-657: The elaborate residences built by the nobility and wealthy bourgeoisie in Paris and other large cities. Examples include the Hôtel Cluny (now the Musée de Cluny – Musée national du Moyen Âge ) in Paris, and particularly the palatial house built by merchant Jacques Cœur in Bourges (1440–1450). Another good example in Paris is the Tour Jean-sans-Peur , a nobleman's townhouse, which features a Gothic watch tower and

8910-616: The end of the Hundred Years' War, Charles VII authorized the construction of the Château de Montsoreau by Jean II de Chambes, then diplomat in Venice and Turkey and private adviser to the king. It was built on the site of the ancient fortress of Foulques Nerra , unusually, directly on the Loire river bank in the style of Venetian Renaissance . Its architecture is of transition between military and pleasure architecture and bears witness to

9045-555: The first manifestations of the French classicism, its exceptional ornamentation and pristine condition earn it a mention in every overview of French Renaissance. Pierre Assézat, a wealthy woad merchant , launched the first phase of construction in 1555–1556. The main L-shaped structure was built along with the staircase pavilion in the corner. The designs of the façades, featuring twin columns which develop regularly over three floors (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian), take their inspiration from

9180-453: The forms of the square, the Greek cross and the circle. The dome had a spiral coffered interior, resembling those in ancient Rome; it was one of the first of its kind in France. The Château d'Écouen , designed by Jean Bullant , features the classical orders on the portico on its western facade. it was inspired by the portico of the Pantheon in Rome. The columns of the facade rise all

9315-433: The foundations. Towers bulge from the corners of the château, bound by a horizontal plat band between the two floors and broad cornice elevating the attic storey; a high roof is pierced by lucarnes , or dormer windows, framed by decorative pilasters and capped with ornate pediments (which became the most recognizable feature of French Renaissance architecture) and topped with rounded, rectangular chimneys. The double doorway

9450-495: The great classical models such as the Coliseum . The capitals also precisely adhere to classical models, known from engravings. The erudite architecture—its source can also be traced to the treatises of the royal architect Sebastiano Serlio —expresses order and regularity. After Bachelier's death in 1556 the construction work stopped; it was restarted in 1560 under the direction of Dominique Bachelier, son of Nicolas. He undertook

9585-495: The influence of the Italian Renaissance . Charles VIII of France and Louis XII of France had both participated in military campaigns in Italy, and had seen the new architecture there. Large numbers of Italian stonemasons had come to Paris to work on the new Pont Notre-Dame (1507–1512) and other construction sites. The Fontaine des Innocents , built by sculptor Jean Goujon to celebrate the entrance of Henry II into Paris in 1549,

9720-402: The interior structure of cathedrals. Early Gothic cathedrals had the walls of the nave built in four levels: a gallery with columns on the ground level; then the tribune , a gallery with windows; then the triforium , a row of smaller windows; and finally the high windows, just below the vaults. During the High Gothic period, with the development of the four-part rib vault and the flying buttress,

9855-463: The main facade was also a striking innovation; it was the first correct use in France of the three classical orders, one above the other. Only a few of the original buildings remain. The central building was later demolished, but the porch can be seen today in the courtyard of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. A third innovative feature was the chapel, consecrated in 1553. In his plan, Delorme combined

9990-641: The major economic and political power on the Continent. The period also saw the founding of the University of Paris or Sorbonne . It produced the High Gothic and the Flamboyant Gothic styles, and the construction of some of the most famous cathedrals, including Chartres Cathedral , Reims Cathedral , and Amiens Cathedral . The birthplace of the new style was the Basilica of Saint-Denis in

10125-551: The mid-16th century by French Renaissance architecture . French Gothic architecture was the result of the emergence in the 12th century of a powerful French state centered in the Île-de-France . During the reign of Louis VI of France (1081–1137), Paris was the principal residence of the Kings of France, Reims the place of coronation, and the Abbey of Saint-Denis became their ceremonial burial place. The Abbot of Saint-Denis, Suger ,

10260-543: The more ornate northern style, and often included elements of earlier Romanesque churches on the same site, such as the Romanesque crypt beneath the Gothic choir at Auxerre Cathedral . Other Burgundian features included colourful tile roofs in geometric patterns ( Langres Cathedral ). The south of France had its own distinct variation of the Gothic style: the Meriodonal or Southern French Gothic . A prominent example

10395-424: The most prolific neo-Gothic architect in France, constructing Saint-Nicolas de Nantes (1840), Sacré-Coeur de Moulins (1849), Saint-Pierre de Dijon (1850), Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Belleville (1853) and the Église de Cusset (1855). The Saint-Eugene-Sainte-Cécile in Paris by Louis-Auguste Boileau and Adrien-Louis Lasson (1854–1855) was the most innovative example of neo-Gothic; it combined a traditional Gothic design with

10530-399: The nave and collateral aisles, alternating pillars and doubled columns to support the vaults, and flying buttresses. But note, much of the ambulatory is still Romanesque, and all adjacent chapels are younger. One of the builders believed to have worked on that Cathedral, William of Sens , later traveled to England and became the architect who reconstructed the choir of Canterbury Cathedral in

10665-419: The nave of the church, also using rib vaults. It was constructed in four levels; the arcades on the ground floor whose two rows of columns received the ribs of the ceiling vaults; the tribune above it, a gallery which concealed the massive contreforts or buttresses which pressed against the walls; the triforium , another, narrower gallery; and, just below the ceiling, the claire-voie or clerestorey , where

10800-444: The nearby Amboise and died in the same year that construction began. He may have played a part in designing the unique double spiral stairway. The plan of the Château is that of a medieval fortress, with round towers on the corners and massive keep or central tower, but the exuberant ornament is purely early French Renaissance. The facade has pilasters at regular intervals, balanced by horizontal bands of relief sculpture. The roof

10935-454: The new ballroom and the gallery of Ulysses with murals by Primaticcio framed in ornately sculptured stucco. François I began other châteaux in the Paris region, The biggest and most impressive was the Château de Madrid , in what is now the Paris suburb of Neuilly , which he began in 1527, because he found the Louvre uncomfortable. It was largely abandoned and then demolished in the late 18th century. Another late château created by François I

11070-523: The new cathedrals taller, wider, and more full of light. At Chartres, the use of the flying buttresses allowed the elimination of the tribune level, which allowed much higher arcades and nave, and larger windows. The pillars were made of a central column surrounded by four more slender columns, which reached up to support the arches of the vaulted ceiling. The rib vault changed from six to four ribs, simpler and stronger. The flying buttresses at Amiens and Chartes were strengthened by an additional arch and with

11205-519: The new fashion of his patron, Louis XIV, the poet Molière ridiculed the Gothic style in a 1669 poem: "...the insipid taste of Gothic ornamentation, these odious monstrosities of an ignorant age, produced by the torrents of barbarism...". During the French Revolution , Gothic churches were symbols of the old regime and became targets for the Revolutionaries; the cathedrals were nationalized, and stripped of ornament and valuables. The statues of

11340-443: The nobles and wealthy citizens of mostly northern French cities competed to build more and more elaborate churches and cathedrals. It took its name from the sinuous, flame-like designs which ornamented windows. Other new features included the arc en accolade , a window decorated with an arch, stone pinnacles and floral sculpture. It also featured an increase in the number of nervures , or ribs, that supported and decorated each vault of

11475-411: The orders of classical columns and other Renaissance elements appear in the interior. One of the finest religious monuments of the French Renaissance is the tomb of François I and his wife Claude de France, located within the Basilica of Saint Denis (1547–1561). It was created by the architect Philibert Delorme and the sculptor Pierre Bontemps . The principal element is a triumphal arch, modeled after

11610-554: The other, modeled after the palaces of Naples and Urbino . The second phase was new courtyard, the Cheval Blanc, with three long wings constructed of brick and moellons et enduit , a mixture of rubble and cement, which became a common combination in French Renassiance architecture. The round medieval towers of the old château were replaced by square pavilions with high roofs and lucarne windows. The third phase

11745-404: The owner. The Château d'Anet was constructed by Philibert Delorme for Diane de Poitiers , the favorite mistress of Henry II , between 1547 and 1552. It originally had three wings, a chapel and a large garden, as well as an imposing gatehouse, whose centerpiece was the famous Nymph statue by Cellini , now at Fontainebleau, along with sculptures of a stag and two hunting dogs. The porch of

11880-494: The popular success of the romantic novel Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo . In 1832, Hugo wrote an article for the Revue des deux Mondes , which declared war against the "massacre of ancient stones" and the "demolishers" of France's past. Louis Philippe declared that restoration of churches and other monuments would be a priority of his regime. In October 1830, the position of Inspector of Historical Monuments had been created by

12015-525: The rank of their noble occupants; the narrowing openings in the walls were often widened into the windows of bedchambers and ceremonial halls. The tower of the Chateau of Vincennes became a royal residence. In the 19th century, portions of the Gothic walls and towers of the Cité de Carcassonne were restored, with some modification, by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc . He also rebuilt the Château de Pierrefonds (1393–1407), an unfinished medieval castle, making it into

12150-415: The reign of François I, and continued until the death of his successor Henry II in 1559. This period is sometimes described as the high point of the style. It included work by Italian architects including Giacomo Vignola and Sebastiano Serlio , but more and more it was made by French architects, particularly Philibert Delorme , Jacques I Androuet du Cerceau , Pierre Lescot and Jean Bullant , and by

12285-487: The remodeling of the medieval oval courtyard. The 12th-century tower was preserved, and a new residential block was constructed, its facade ornamented with pilasters and high windows with lucarnes and with triangular frontons , which became a signature feature of the new style. The old medieval chatelet , or gatehouse, was replaced by a new structure, the Porte Dorée , which was composed of grand loggias one above

12420-448: The restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris . Over the rest of the 19th century, all of the major Gothic cathedrals of France underwent extensive restoration. French Gothic architecture also experienced a modest revival, largely confined to new churches. Neo-Gothic churches built in Paris included Sainte-Clothilde by Theodore Ballu (1841–1857), and Saint-Laurent, Paris by Simon-Claude-Constant Dufeux (1862–1865). Jean-Baptiste Lassus became

12555-545: The right stairway of the Lescot Wing, decorated with a sculpture of hunting scenes. The hôtel d'Assézat in Toulouse , built by architect Nicolas Bachelier and, after his death in 1556, by his son Dominique, is an outstanding example of Renaissance palace architecture of southern France, with an elaborate decoration of the cour d'honneur ("courtyard") influenced by Italian Mannerism and by classicism . As one of

12690-527: The roof and which spread the weight downwards and outwards to the Buttresses outside and the columns below. He also introduced the use of high arcades in the choir, and devised the structure which made the walls between the structural elements thinner, allowing more and larger windows which filled the church with light. The innovations of William at Canterbury included the motif of pale Caen stone contrasted with dark column shafts of Purbeck marble , and

12825-469: The roof. The first Renaissance additions were the large bays on the ground floor, which opened out with a view of the Loire. Amboise also had, on the Hurtault tower, some of the first Renaissance pilasters in France, sculpted columns on the wall that were purely decorative. The landscape architect whom Charles brought from Italy, Pacello da Mercogliano , created the first French Renaissance garden on

12960-771: The sculptor Jean Goujon . The features of this period included the greater use of the ancient Classical orders of columns and pilasters, preceding from the most massive to the lightest. This meant starting at the bottom with the Doric order , then the Ionic , then the Corinthian on top. The order used on each level determined the style of that level of the facade. Philibert Delorme went further and added two new orders to his facades: French Doric and French Ionic. These columns were regular Doric and Ionic columns decorated with ornamental bands or rings. The second period featured also

13095-674: The seat of the court until 1450, and he and his dauphin, the future Louis XI , ordered or authorized construction works to be carried out. Then began the construction of the Châteaux of the Loire Valley . Thus, from 1443 to 1453, the main building of the Château de Montsoreau is built on the Loire river banks by Jean II de Chambes , diplomat in Venice and in Turkey and private counselor of King Charles VII. Between 1465 and 1469, Louis XI ordered

13230-401: The second half of the 13th century until the 1370s, is termed Rayonnant ("Radiant") in both French and English, describing the radiating pattern of the tracery in the stained glass windows, and also describing the tendency toward the use of more and more stained glass and less masonry in the design of the structure, until the walls seemed entirely made of glass. The most celebrated example was

13365-487: The second period, between 1540 and the end of the Valois dynasty in 1589, French architects and craftsmen gave the style a more distinctive and original French character. The major architects of the style included the royal architects Philibert Delorme , Pierre Lescot and Jean Bullant , as well as the Italian architect and architectural theorist Sebastiano Serlio . During the Hundred Years' War , Charles VII found

13500-478: The sexpartite rib-vaults, which form paired bays in the nave . The combination of these two limestones was influential in subsequent Gothic architecture, which Canterbury helped to spread through its prominence as the episcopal see of the Primate of All England . William was working on the church in 1177 when he slipped and fell from the scaffolding, and was badly injured. The chronicler Gervase recorded that

13635-436: The statues on the façade of the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris had been beheaded and taken down. Throughout the country, churches and monasteries had been demolished or turned into barns, cafes, schools, or prisons. The first effort to catalogue the remaining monuments was made in 1816 by Alexandre de Laborde, who wrote the first list of "Monuments of France". In 1831, interest in Gothic architecture grew even greater following

13770-450: The strong horizontal bands marking the floors, and by the gradual and subtle change of the ornament on each level, representing the three classical orders of architecture. To avoid monotony, the frontons of the windows alternated between triangles and rounded arches. The top floor did not have a high roof lucarnes , like most other French Renaissance buildings; it was composed instead of alternating windows and sculptural decoration, beneath

13905-522: The style. Normandy at the end of the 12th century saw the construction of several notable Gothic cathedrals and churches. The characteristic features of Norman Gothic were sharply pointed arches, lavish use of decorative molding, and walls pierced with numerous passages. Norman architects and builders were active not only in Normandy, but also across the Channel in England. The high-quality Norman stone

14040-470: The task was taken up by Jean Bullant , but then it was interrupted again by the Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572, and was not completed until decades later. The decorations invented by Delorme included a new style of classical columns, French Corinthian, banded with several ornamental rings. Catherine de Medici also imposed the Italian style at Fontainebleau , with the construction of

14175-435: The terrace, surrounded by a forged wrought iron fence. Charles did not see the château completed; he died there in 1498, after accidentally hitting his head on a lintel. Not all the architectural innovation took place in the Loire Valley. Georges d'Amboise was archbishop of Rouen, but also the chief minister for Italian affairs for both Louis XII and Charles VIII. Between 1502 and 1509 he largely redecorated his residence in

14310-641: The thrust from the rib vaults of the roof. This allowed the builders to construct higher walls and larger windows. The second phase of Gothic in France is called Gothique Classique or Classic Gothic . The similar phase in English is called High Gothic . From the end of the 12th century until the middle of the 13th century, the Gothic style spread from the cathedrals in Île-de-France to appear in other cities of northern France, notably Chartres Cathedral (begun 1200); Bourges Cathedral (1195 to 1230), Reims Cathedral (1211–1275), and Amiens Cathedral (begun 1250); The characteristic Gothic elements were refined to make

14445-427: The time when castles became châteaux . The main building was built in 1453 and in an unprecedent manner, two square pavilions were added between 1453 and 1461, anticipating the classical architecture by several decades. Jean III de Chambes built or transformed the grand stairway tower in the Italian style in 1510–1515, its carvings are similar to the ones of the gate-house of Château de Gaillon . In 1491, before

14580-482: The tribune was eliminated at Chartres and other new cathedrals, allowing taller windows and arcades. By the 15th century, at Rouen Cathedral, the triforium also disappeared, and the walls between the traverses were filled with high windows. Another innovative feature of the French Gothic cathedral was the design of the portal or entry, which by long Christian tradition faced west. The Basilica of St Denis had

14715-493: The upper parts of the choir and the whole nave had to be renewed because of signs of decay; the new upper choir (on the arcades of the Primary Gothic) was built with a triforium with windows. This was the onset of Rayonnant style (see below). The first cathedral constructed in the new style was Sens Cathedral , begun between 1135 and 1140 and consecrated in 1160. It featured a Gothic choir, and six-part rib vaults over

14850-451: The valley of the Seine , the Château de Gaillon , in the Italian style. He acquired a fountain, marble medallions from Genoa , sculpted frontons and pilasters with seashell ornamentation, and various architectural elements from Italy and used them in the chậteau. Gradually, the decoration transformed the château from a medieval fortress to an elegant Renaissance residence. Most of the Château

14985-460: The vault and in 1569 they completed a tower, 72 meters high, which from 1569 to 1573 made Beauvais Cathedral the tallest structure in the world. However, in 1573, the new tower collapsed, fortunately without any casualties. The church remains today as it was, with the choir, some of the ambulatory, apse, some chapels, but no nave or tower. Beginning in the 1530s, the Flamboyant Gothic style of French religious and civil architecture also began to show

15120-405: The visual message for the illiterate worshippers, symbols of the evil and danger that threatened those who did not follow the teachings of the church. The gargoyle also had a more practical purpose. They were the rain spouts of the Cathedral; rainwater ran from the roof into lead gutters, then down channels on the flying buttresses to the mouths of the gargoyles. The longer the gargoyle, the farther

15255-589: The wall with sculptures of slaves, warriors, trophies, and mythical divinities, representing in classical style the military triumphs of France. Inside the Lescot Wing the decoration was inspired by ancient Greece. In the ballroom, the balcony for the musicians was carried by caryatides made by Jean Goujon, inspired by those on the Acropolis in Athens. Goujon was also responsible for the coffered ceiling of

15390-595: The wall. After he was released from his captivity in Spain in 1526, François I decided to move his court from the Loire Valley to the Ile-de-France region centered in Paris. He constructed or reconstructed seven châteaux in the Ile-de-France, the most important of which was the Château de Fontainebleau . The architect the King chose for Fontainebleau was Gilles Le Breton . Work commenced in 1528 with

15525-430: The water from the roof away from the building. At Amiens, the windows of the nave were made larger, and an additional row of clear glass windows (the claire-voie ) flooded the interior with light. The new structural technologies allowed the enlargement of the transepts and the choirs at the east end of the cathedrals, creating the space for a ring of well-lit chapels. The third period of French Gothic architecture, from

15660-511: The water was projected from the walls, protecting the walls and windows from water damage. Multiple numbers were used to distribute the water as widely as possible. Amid all the religious figures, some of the sculptural decoration was devoted to illustrating medieval science and philosophy. The porch of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and of Amiens Cathedral are decorated with similar small carved figures holding circular plaques with symbols of transformation taken from alchemy. The central pillar of

15795-581: The way to the roofline. The interior is also remarkable, with some of the original ceramic tile floor still in place and highly decorated fireplaces. This château is now the French National Museum of the Renaissance. One of the last commissions of François I, given just a year before his death, was the reconstruction of a part of the Louvre Palace , built by Charles V , in order to make it more comfortable and palatial. The project

15930-406: The windows were located. The resulting greater height and light differed dramatically from the heaviness of Romanesque architecture. On the facade of the church, Suger introduced another innovation; he used columns in the form of statues of saints to decorate the portal of the church, adding a new element of verticality to the facade. This idea too was soon copied in new cathedrals. Ninety years later,

16065-407: The young architect Salomon de Brosse (1576) was another landmark of the late French Renaissance style. It was commanded by Henry IV of France . Its symmetry, corner pavilions, twin pilasters, discreet roof, absence of lucarnes and its rotunda at the entrance made it a concise summary of the French Renaissance style at the end of the 16th century. Catherine de Medici also commissioned additions to

16200-598: Was a 12th-century French master mason and architect , believed to have been born at Sens , France . He is known for rebuilding the choir of Canterbury Cathedral between 1174 and 1177, counted as the first important example of the Early Gothic Style of architecture in England, finished in 1184. Before Canterbury, he worked on Sens Cathedral . According to one English source, he died at Canterbury on 11 August 1180. According to other sources, he died in France, after returning from England. Very little

16335-555: Was a counselor of Louis VI and Louis VII, as well as a historian. He oversaw the reconstruction of the ambulatory of Saint-Denis, making it the first and most influential example of Gothic architecture in France. The first complete Gothic cathedral, Sens Cathedral , was finished shortly afterwards. Over the later course of the Capetian dynasty (1180 to 1328), three Kings: Philip Augustus (1180–1223), Louis IX of France (1226–1270), and Philip le Bel (1285–1314), established France as

16470-755: Was a design of a labyrinth , usually found in stone on the floor in a central part of the cathedral. Inspired by the labyrinth in Greek legend constructed by King Minos as the home of the Minotaur , in cathedrals they were known as the "Path of Jerusalem" and symbolized the difficult and often roundabout path that a Christian sometimes had to follow in life to reach the gates of Paradise and salvation. Large labyrinths were originally found in Auxerre Cathedral , Sens Cathedral , Reims Cathedral , and Arras Cathedral , but these removed during various renovations in

16605-439: Was a new gallery to connect the old and new buildings. The decor of this new gallery was created by a Tuscan craftsman, Rosso Fiorentino . who arrived in 1530. The final new project was a grand stairway on the oval court leading up the royal apartments. It had a portico with classical columns resembling a triumphal arch . The design of this stairway was not borrowed from Italy, but copied directly from classical Roman models. It

16740-616: Was a sign of the beginning of more originality in French Renaissance architecture. Beginning in 1530, the group of Italian artists imported by François I, led by Rosso Fiorentino , Francesco Primaticcio , and Niccolo dell' Abbate , becoming known as the First School of Fontainebleau , decorated the interiors of the new rooms. Their work had a major influence on Renaissance decoration throughout Europe. This included frescoes in elaborate stucco sculptural frames, cartouches in all forms, and medallions in high relief. The architecture

16875-406: Was constructed like a small arch of triumph. The grand stairway, in the Italian style, was the most important interior feature; it had a coffered ceiling decorated with sculpture. The Château de Blois (1519–1536) was originally begun by Louis XII of France , cousin and successor to Charles VIII. The initial design was more medieval than Renaissance; only the pillars and decorated capitals of

17010-514: Was countered by the weight of the buttress. Heavy stone pinnacles were added to the top of the buttresses, to precisely counterbalance the thrust from inside the walls. The buttress allowed a significant reduction in the thickness of the cathedral walls, and permitted the use of larger windows in the interior of the church. In churches such as Sainte Chapelle , due to buttresses, the walls were made almost entirely of stained glass. The development of rib-vaults and buttresses brought gradual changes to

17145-504: Was cut and transported to England for use in English cathedrals. Notable examples of Norman Gothic include Lisieux Cathedral , Fécamp Abbey , the chevet of Abbey of Saint-Étienne, Caen ; Rouen Cathedral ; Coutances Cathedral , the chevet of Le Mans Cathedral ; Bayeux Cathedral ; and the celebrated monastery at Mont-Saint-Michel . The Angevin Gothic style or Plantagenet style in the province of Anjou features vaults with elegant decorative ribs, as well as ornate columns. The style

17280-436: Was demolished in the 19th century, but some portions remain and some of the decoration is now on display in the Musée national des Monuments Français in Paris. The Château de Bury , another medieval castle (since demolished), was constructed beginning in 1511 by Florimond Robertet, a state secretary and treasurer for both Charles VIII and François I. Following the new style, it was designed for living, not for fighting. It

17415-526: Was inspired by the design of Donato Bramante for the Cortile del Belvedere of the Vatican Palace in Rome. Its facade facing the courtyard presented arcades and niches decorated with pilasters in the Italian style, but it was left unfinished. One characteristic feature of François I decoration at Blois was the corniche aux coquilles , a cornice with a sea shell motif. The Château de Chambord

17550-509: Was ornamented with sculpture of putti , of garlands of fruit, of satyrs and heroic figures from mythology. The most important included twelve rectangular frescos, in highly decorative three-dimensional sculpturesque frames, in the Gallery of François I (1533–1539). Following the death of Francis I in 1547, his successor King Henry II continued to enlarge and embellish the château. The architects Philibert Delorme and Jean Bullant extended

17685-534: Was perfectly symmetrical, with four round towers, around a central cour d'honneur , which was decorated with a statue of David by Michelangelo . A double stairway on the exterior at the main entrance replaced the traditional winding stairway within a tower. The facade was largely vertical, but was divided by horizontal cordons or bands of decoration following the style of palaces in Florence and Rome. This symmetrical balance of horizontal and vertical lines became

17820-584: Was the first Renaissance monument in the city. It was soon followed by the new facade of the Cour Carré of the Louvre , also decorated by Jean Goujon . The new Paris Hotel de Ville (1533–1568) was also constructed in an Italianate rather than Gothic style. Most important of all, the new Tuileries Palace by Philippe Delorme , built for Catherine de' Medici , begun in 1564, was inspired by Italian palaces. Religious buildings were slower to change. The Church of

17955-571: Was the summit of the early French Renaissance style, a harmonious combination of French tradition and Italian innovation. François I conceived the idea of a comfortable hunting lodge in the forest. Work began in 1519, but was interrupted by the capture of the King by the Spanish-Imperial army at the Battle of Pavia in 1525. It resumed in 1526 after the King was released, and was finished in 1538. Leonardo da Vinci spend his last years at

18090-525: Was torn by the outbreak of the French Wars of Religion , which largely pushed aside architecture and design. Nonetheless, a few last Renaissance projects were launched, largely inspired by Catherine de Medici , the widow of Henry II. The most important project of the period was the new Tuileries Palace . It was designed by the chief royal architect, Philibert Delorme, in response to the Queen's wish for

18225-546: Was undertaken by Pierre Lescot , a nobleman and architect, and was modified by the new King, Henry II , who added a new pavilion on the southwest to serve as his residence. The result was a skillful blend of Italian and French elements. The facade featured arcades on the ground level in the Italian style, and was divided by three avant-corps decorated with sets of twin Corinthian columns and topped with consoles with rounded frontons. These vertical elements were balanced by

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