Troyes Cathedral
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Troyes Cathedral (french: Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul de Troyes) is a
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...
, dedicated to
Saint Peter Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un ...
and
Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
, located in the town of
Troyes Troyes () is a commune and the capital of the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within the Champagne wine region and is near to ...
in Champagne,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. It is the episcopal seat of the
Bishop of Troyes The Diocese of Troyes (Latin: ''Dioecesis Trecensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Troyes'') is a Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt ...
. The
cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
, in the
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
architectural style, has been a listed ''
monument historique ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...
'' since 1862.


History


Earlier cathedrals

According to local church tradition, Christianity was carried to Troyes in the third century by the Bishop of
Sens Sens () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yonne Departments of France, department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, 120 km from Paris. Sens is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture and the second city of the d ...
, Savinien, who sent Saint Potentien and Saint Sérotin to the town to establish the first church. The house where they lived is believed to have stood on the same site as the cathedral; and excavations in the 19th century found traces of Gallo-Roman building under the sanctuary. A 5th-century bishop of Troyes, Lupus was credited with saving
Troyes Troyes () is a commune and the capital of the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within the Champagne wine region and is near to ...
from destruction by
Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...
by leading a delegation of clerics to appeal to
Attila Attila (, ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European traditio ...
, in 451.St. Lupus - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
/ref> An enamel of Lupus healing a deaf young woman is displayed in the cathedral; the old cathedral is visible in the background. The first church was rebuilt and enlarged in the 9th century, but it was badly damaged by the
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...
invasions at the end of the same century. It was rebuilt by Bishop Milo through about 980 in the Romanesque style. Fragments of the sculptural decoration of this old church were found in 1864 and are displayed in the south collateral aisle of the present church. In the 12th century, the Romanesque church was enlarged with the addition of a bell tower and a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The church was the site of the Council of Troyes that opened on 13 January 1129, hosted by Pope
Honorius II Pope Honorius II (9 February 1060 – 13 February 1130), born Lamberto Scannabecchi,Levillain, pg. 731 was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 21 December 1124 to his death in 1130. Although from a humble background, ...
. At the urging of Saint
Bernard of Clairvaux Bernard of Clairvaux, O. Cist. ( la, Bernardus Claraevallensis; 109020 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templars, and a major leader in the reformation of the Benedictine Order through ...
, the Council granted official status to the
Order of the Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...
, which became immensely influential throughout Christendom. File:Émaux de saint Loup, "saint Loup exorcise une jeune fille muette".jpg, An enamel of
Lupus of Troyes Saint Lupus (french: Loup, Leu, ( cy, Bleiddian) ( 383 – c. 478 AD) was an early bishop of Troyes. Around 426, the bishops in Britain requested assistance from the bishops of Gaul in dealing with Pelagianism. Germanus of Auxerre and Lupus were s ...
, a 5th-century bishop, healing a deaf woman. The old Cathedral is visible in the background. File:Institution de l Ordre du Temple 1128 par Granet.jpg, The Council of Troyes grants official status to
Order of the Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...
(1129)


Gothic cathedral

In 1188 a fire destroyed much of the town, and badly damaged the cathedral. Reconstruction began in 1199 or 1200, started by Bishop Garnier de Traînel. Once the construction was underway, the Bishop departed on the
Fourth Crusade The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...
in 1204, and brought back to Troyes a collection of precious relics for the cathedral treasury. The new church was constructed in the Early Gothic style, inspired by the earlier Basilica of Saint Denis and Sens Cathedral, and by Chartres Cathedral and Notre Dame de Paris, which both were under construction at the same time. Work was well along by 1220 when the lower portions were completed and the upper walls were begun. Unfortunately, in 1228 a hurricane struck the half-finished structure, destroying the lower collateral aisle on the south side of the choir and damaging the upper walls. The upper walls were rebuilt between 1235 and 1240, and the builders took advantage of the extra time to adopt a more modern element first used at the Basilica of Saint-Denis; they filled the walls of the
triforium A triforium is an interior gallery, opening onto the tall central space of a building at an upper level. In a church, it opens onto the nave from above the side aisles; it may occur at the level of the clerestory windows, or it may be locate ...
, at the midlevel of the wall, with stained glass, bringing an abundance of light into the middle of the church. The transept was finally vaulted in about 1310, and the spire was raised over the transept, but due to a series of economic difficulties, work slowed down. In 1365 a tornado destroyed the spire of the transept; it was not restored until 1437. More seriously, in 1389 the roof of the nave was struck by lightning, starting a fire that damaged the masonry below. This led in 1390 to the collapse of the rose window of the north transept. The rose was replaced and reinforced in 1408–9, but forty years later again showed signs of weakness. It was reinforced with a stone bar, and the portals were reinforced with new buttresses. Work resumed in 1450 under Bishop Louis Reguier, who worked to complete the upper portions of the nave.


Flamboyant and Renaissance additions (15th–17th century)

In May 1420, the Treaty of Troyes was signed in the cathedral between
Henry V of England Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the ...
, his ally Philip of Burgundy and Queen Isabel, wife of the mad
Charles VI of France Charles VI (3 December 136821 October 1422), nicknamed the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé) and later the Mad (french: le Fol or ''le Fou''), was King of France from 1380 until his death in 1422. He is known for his mental illness and psychotic ...
whereby the throne of France would pass to Henry on the death of Charles rather than to Charles' son the Dauphin. Henry married Catherine of Valois, the French king's daughter, shortly afterwards in Troyes, either at the cathedral or the church of St Jean. In July 1429,
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronati ...
escorted the Dauphin to Mass in the cathedral en route to proclaiming him
Charles VII of France Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461), called the Victorious (french: le Victorieux) or the Well-Served (), was King of France from 1422 to his death in 1461. In the midst of the Hundred Years' War, Charles VII inherited the throne of F ...
at Reims Cathedral, in contravention of the recently signed Treaty of Troyes. At the beginning of the 16th century, a new building campaign began, this time in the late Gothic
Flamboyant Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-tr ...
style. It was conducted by the master builder Martin Chambiges, whose works included the transepts of Sens Cathedral (1494), Beauvais Cathedral (1499) and Senlis Cathedral (1530). The new west front he designed followed the model of Reims Cathedral and other 13th century cathedrals, with three portals separated by strong buttresses, each topped by a high pointed arch. The first level of the west front was finished by 1531–1432. The 12th-century bell tower and porch was demolished. The two levels were complete by 1554, and work began on the towers. Work on the north tower, called the Saint-Pierre tower, went slowly; it was not finished until 1634, and had just two of the smaller clochetons or steeples on the top corners instead of the four planned. The planned south tower was never started. File:Troye 1634 Tassin 15973.jpg, Troyes Cathedral in 1634


Vandalism and preservation (19th–20th century)

The cathedral suffered major damage during the French Revolution. The west front was particularly targeted; the sculptures that filled the tympanum over each portal were smashed. The lower stained glass windows in the choir were destroyed or taken apart. Fortunately, many of the upper windows were spared and still have their original glass. On January 9–10, 1794, a jeweller named Rondot led a mob that looted the treasury, seizing and melting down the previous gold and silver sacred objects. During the rest of the 19th and 20th centuries, the cathedral underwent several campaigns of restoration. In 1840 the wall of the south transept, built on an unstable foundation, had to be reinforced to prevent it from collapsing, and between 1849 and 1866 all of the walls on the east side and then the pillars of the choir were reinforced. Many of the 13th-century windows were restored and put back into place. During both the First and Second World Wars, the stained glass was removed and put into safe storage, and the building suffered no significant harm. Restoration and repair of the west facade continued into the 21st century.


Plans and dimensions

File:Cathédrale Saint-Pierre - Dessin - Troyes - Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoine - APMH00007418.jpg, Elevations Image:Plan.cathedrale.Troyes.png, Plan of the cathedral File:Arc.boutant.cathedrale.Troyes.png, Flying buttress, drawn by
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (; 27 January 181417 September 1879) was a French architect and author who restored many prominent medieval landmarks in France, including those which had been damaged or abandoned during the French Revolution. H ...
The cathedral, containing the nave, choir and apse with radiating chapels, has two principal aisles and two further subsidiary aisles. It is 114 metres (379 feet 6 inches) long and 50 metres (162 feet 6 inches) wide (across the
transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...
s), with a height from the top of the vault of 29.5 metres (96 feet); the height of the
cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, from ...
and the tower is 62.34 metres (202 feet 7 inches). The surface area of 1,500 m2 (16,000 sq. ft.),


Exterior


West Front

File:Troyes Cathédrale St. Pierre et Paul Rosette 2.jpg, Upper west front, over the central portal File:Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, Troyes, West view 20140509 1.jpg, The west front and north tower File:Troyes Cathédrale St. Pierre et Paul Fassade 7.jpg, The full west front The west front of the cathedral, with the three portals which serve as main entrances, was almost entirely redone beginning in 1507 in the
Flamboyant Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-tr ...
style by master builder Martin Chambiges. It is divided into vertical sections containing the portals by four massive vertical buttresses and covered with elaborate arcades and tracery. Each of the three portals is crowned by a high pointed gable. The gable over the central portal originally held statues of the Virgin Mary, Saint John and Saint Mary Madeleine. An immense flamboyant rose window fills the space over the central portal. On top of the rose window, interrupting the balustrade, is the coat of arms of the city of Troyes The west front suffered the most damage during the Revolution. The tympanum over the central entrance, which originally contained scenes from the Passion of Christ is bare; the statuary was smashed. The voussures and embracements that frame the portals preserve the original lavish vegetal decoration. The many niches and galleries on the west front contained statues, which were also destroyed, though the fleur-de-lis royal emblems on the balustrades remain. The sculpture of the tympanums of the north and south portals originally celebrated the lives of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, the two patron saints of the cathedral. These were also destroyed during the Revolution. The north and only tower, finished in 1634, is built in a more classical Renaissance style. It has two narrow windows on each side, between the supporting buttresses. each side, and decoration of slender columns. The top has a balustrade with two cupolas. An arch was planned to connect the two towers, and its foundation was built, but the south tower was never constructed.


North and south sides and transepts

File:Transept Nord Cathédrale de Troyes 220208.jpg, The north transept File:Rose Transept Nord Cathédrale de Troyes 220208.jpg, The north transept rose window (early 15th century) with a stone bar added to secure it. File:South View of Troyes Cathedral 20140509 2.jpg, The south side and transept. The chapter house is to the right of the transept. The north and south walls of the cathedral are supported by high flying buttresses, given additional weight by stone pinnacles. The walls are divided midway by the north and south transepts. The space between the buttresses is almost entirely filled by small chapels, lower than the central vessel of the nave and choir. A balustrade connects the roofs of the chapels, and another balustrade runs along the edge of the upper wall, at the base of the roof. The tracery of high windows and of the chapels, especially those closer to the west end of the cathedral, is flamboyant and elaborate, while the tracery toward the east end, built in the 13th and beginning of the 14th century, is simpler. Midway along the sides are the two transepts, which protrude just beyond the chapels on either side of them. They were built in the 13th century, and each was originally decorated with sculpture in the tympanum, and in the voussures of the arches over the portals. The south portal sculpture depicted the Last Judgement and
Apocalypse Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...
. The transept sculpture, like that of the west front, was destroyed during the Revolution. A few pieces are preserved in the Musée des beaux-arts de Troyes. The north transept underwent major rebuilding. The buttresses with pinnacles were added in the 15th century, along with lancet and quadrafoil windows in the triforium, or middle level. and a balustrade with ornament representing the keys of Saint Peter. The original rose window of the transept fell in 1390, and was replaced with a Rayonnant window in the early 15th century. Later in the same century, a vertical stone bar was placed in front of the rose window to secure it. The original south transept from the 13th century collapsed and was entirely rebuilt between 1841 and 1844. The rose window was made identical to that in the north facade, and the decoration was simplified.


Chevet

File:Troyes Cathédrale St. Pierre et Paul Chor 4.jpg, The chevet with radiating chapels The chevet or east front has six chapels placed between the flying buttresses which form a half-circle around the apse. The buttresses, which made a double leap to the top of the walls, are topped with spires, pinnacles and sculpture to give them extra weight. They were constructed in the 19th century, replacing simpler earlier buttresses. An elaborate
balustrade A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its con ...
rings the roofline. The windows of the upper level, each composed of two large lancets and one to three small rose windows, retain their original plan. Another elaborate balustrade rings the roofline.


Interior

The interior of the central vessel of the cathedral is covered by traverses of six-part rib vaults, supported by slender columns descending to the lower level, where they grouped around and supported by massive pillars. The central vessel has three levels; the arcades of large pointed arches on the ground floor; a more narrow
triforium A triforium is an interior gallery, opening onto the tall central space of a building at an upper level. In a church, it opens onto the nave from above the side aisles; it may occur at the level of the clerestory windows, or it may be locate ...
, or gallery, with windows on the outside; and an upper level filled with large windows that reach upward to the vaults. This arrangement is consistent from the west to the east, giving remarkable unity to the interior.


Nave

File:Troyes Cathédrale St. Pierre et Paul Innen Gewölbe.jpg, Vaults of the nave File:Troyes Cathédrale St. Pierre et Paul Innen Langhaus Ost 4.jpg, The nave, looking east File:Troyes Cathédrale St. Pierre et Paul Innen Kanzel 2.jpg, Pulpit The nave, where ordinary worshippers were seated, is covered by seven traverses of vaults, extending as far as the transept. The pillars and columns at the western end are more recent, from the 15th and 16th centuries, and their capitals are decorated with more realistic floral sculpture. In the eastern portions, including the choir, the capitals have 13th-century crochets and other older Gothic decoration. The 19th century carved wood pulpit is found in the 6th traverse of the nave. It was designed by the architect Gounod in the spirit of the 13th and 14th centuries and completed by the sculptor Henri Triqueti in 1845.


Transept and choir

File:Transept of Troyes Cathedral HDR 20140509 6.jpg, Vaults of the transept File:Troyes Cathédrale St. Pierre et Paul Innen Chor 3.jpg, The altar and inner choir File:Troyes (10) cathédrale St Pierre-St Paul 40.jpg, Carved figure of divine mercy, originally from Clairvaux Abbey, on a choir stall The transept dates largely to the 13th century, and originally supported a tall spire, which was destroyed by fire in 1700. The ceiling vaults were rebuilt in the late Gothic style with ornamental extra ribs, in a form called a
Lierne vault In Gothic architecture, a lierne is a tertiary rib connecting one rib to another, as opposed to connecting to a springer, or to the central boss. The resulting construction is called a lierne vault or stellar vault (named after the star shape ge ...
or star vault. The north rose window, ten meters in diameter, was remade in the 15th century and reinforced in its center by a stone bar. The south window is a 19th-century copy of the north window. The choir is the location of the altar and the portion of the church reserved for the use of the clergy. It includes the sanctuary, where the altar is located, surrounded by an ornamental screen from the 19th century. The white marble altar was designed by the architect Jean Henri Gentilz in 1779, and gilded in 1786, shortly before the French Revolution. The carved wooden choir stalls were originally made for
Clairvaux Abbey Clairvaux Abbey (, ; la, Clara Vallis) was a Cistercian monastery in Ville-sous-la-Ferté, from Bar-sur-Aube. The original building, founded in 1115 by St. Bernard, is now in ruins; the present structure dates from 1708. Clairvaux Abbey was a ...
. When the abbey was largely destroyed during the French Revolution, the stalls, as well as the organ, were nationalised and were eventually were purchased for Troyes Cathedral, and were installed in 1802.


Collateral aisles and chapels

File:Chapelle sud-ouest de la cathédrale de Troyes 03841.jpg, Enclosure of the Baptismal Chapel File:Baptême Cathédrale de Troyes 290308.jpg, Baptism of Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose (Baptismal Chapel) File:Vie de Marie PM10002262 cathédrale 03887.jpg, Birth of the Virgin (Chapel of the Holy Sacrament) Just inside the west front is a massive rectangular block, which serves as an entrance lobby to the nave and was built solidly to support the towers. Unlike the nave and choir, it has no collateral aisles, and the vaults are more recent lierne vaults from the 16th century, with decorative ribs. On the east and west sides of the nave and choir are two wide collateral aisles, with vaults lower than those of the central vessel. These give access to a series of chapels that are placed between the buttresses. On the west, there are five small chapels on each side of the nave, each with a large single window, from the late 13th and early 14th centuries. These chapels contain the largest number of sculptures, mostly from the 14th and especially 16th centuries. One prominent example is the Baptism of Saint Augustine by Saint Ambroise, a lifelike polychrome work with multiple figures in the Baptismal Chapel, on the south side near the west front. This same chapel contains several 16th-century paintings from the school of Troyes, including a 16th-century painting of the Last Supper, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. This chapel also has the oldest original enclosure, a carved wall dating from 1553 to 1554.


Disambulatory and apse chapels

File:Chapelle Absidiale, Cathedrale de Troyes HDR 20140509 9.jpg, Chapel of the Virgin, with windows dating to 1200–1230. The altar is 19th–century Neo-Gothic. File:Troyes Cathédrale St. Pierre et Paul Innen Hochaltar.jpg, Chapel of Sts. Peter and Paul The disambulatory of the choir leads to the east end, This passageway contains some of the oldest architecture of the cathedral; the north side of the choir, dating from about 1200, includes a rounded Romanesque arch. The windows are also among the oldest in the cathedral (see Stained Glass section). The ambulatory leads to the six chapels that surround the east end, which have very old windows, but more modern decoration from the 19th century, including Neo-Gothic furnishings made between the 1840s and 1876. The largest is the Chapel of the Virgin, at the very east end. Its windows date to 1200–1230, while its altar is Neo-Gothic from the 19th century.


Stained glass

While the original sculpture at Troyes has largely disappeared, the cathedral still has a large number of its original stained glass windows, installed from the 13th to 16th century, along with some windows incorporating sections of medieval glass. The windows illustrate vividly the evolution of stained glass in France, from the 13th-century windows, with their deeply-colored, thicker pieces of glass assembled like mosaics, to the 15th- and 16th-century windows, using silver stain and enamel painting to create the effects of shading and perspective similar to those of Renaissance painting.


The nave

File:Vitrail Cathédrale Troyes 150208 01.jpg, The Apostles - Lower windows of he nave, (south side Bay 51) (14th century) File:Cathédrale de troyes - Saint Pierre.jpg, Saint Peter (south side-Bay 47) (14th century) File:Vitrail Annonciation Cathédrale de Troyes 220208.jpg, The Annunciation (south side Bay 47) (14th century) File:Troyes Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Baie 051 347.jpg, Apostles - Upper windows of nave (Bay 51) File:Vitraux Cathédrale de Troyes 290308 02.jpg , Sainte Catherine of Alexandria and Saint Maurice of Agaune (16th c.) File:Le Pressoir mystique 290308 2.jpg, The Mystical Wine Press - Bay 49 (1625) The nave has glass from a wide variety of periods and styles – sometimes in the same bay. Some of the oldest windows, from the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th century, are in the lateral chapels. Most of these underwent considerable restoration in the 19th century. Other bays were given new windows in the 16th and 17th centuries. Of these, some were designed by
Linard Gontier Linard Gonthier (1565 – after 1642) was a glass painter who worked in Troyes, France. Among his many works, he undertook the restoration of the stained glass in the church of Sainte-Savine. The ''Rue Linard Gonthier'' in Troyes is named after h ...
, a prominent Troyes artist of the Renaissance. His most famous window in the cathedral is the "Mystical Wine Press", inspired by the prominence of the champagne from the region. It depicts Christ with grapevines sprouting from this chest, and a variety of scenes associating grapes and wine with the apostles.


Choir and ambulatory

File:Troyes Cathédrale St. Pierre et Paul Innen Chorumgangskapelle 2.jpg, Windows of the axis chapel of the apse, dedicated to the Virgin Mary (13th–19th c.) File:Vitrail Cathédrale Troyes 160208 03.jpg, The Flight to Egypt and Adoration of the Magi (13th century) File:Vitrail Arbre de Jessé Cathédrale Troyes 200208 2.jpg, Musician in the Tree of Jesse window, 13th c. Chapel of Joan of Arc, (Bay 31) File:Troyes Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Baie 038 983.JPG, Detail of 15th-century window (Bay 38) File:Filip August.png, King Philip II of France (Choir, Bay 52) File:Vitrail Cathédrale Troyes 160208 02.jpg, Powers of the Ecclesiastical hierarchy (Bishops and Kings) (Bay 52) File:Troyes Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Baie 208 358.jpg, Upper windows of the choir (Bay 208); Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins The choir and the ambulatory, to the east of the cathedral, still have much of their original stained glass. The oldest windows are in the radiating chapels on the east, some dating to 1200–1230. The higher windows and those of the triforium date to about 1235–40. Some of these windows are more recent, but include portions of the older original glass, which had not yet been installed at the time of the hurricane of 1228. While many of the lower windows were considerably modified, the upper windows of the choir are mostly in their original state.


Transept

File:Troyes Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Baie 223 448.jpg, Grisaille windows in the transept The transept windows have a mixture of styles. The windows on the west are from the 14th century, while those on the east were replaced in the 16th century with windows with tracery of the
Flamboyant Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-tr ...
Gothic style. The triforium windows on the west were made in the 19th century, while the triforium windows on the east include vestiges of restored 13th-century glass.


Rose windows

File:Troyes Cathédrale St. Pierre et Paul Innen Westrosette.jpg, The west rose window (partly hidden by organ) File:Troyes Cathédrale St. Pierre et Paul Innen Nördliche Rosette.jpg, Rose window of the north transept File:Troyes Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Nordrosette 988.JPG, Detail of the north rose window The rose window at the west end of the nave, from 1239, was made by the artist Jean Soudain on the theme of the celestial court. The view of this window from the ground floor is largely obscured by the organ. The rose window in the north transept, ten meters in diameter, was installed in the 15th century to replace the earlier window, which fell in 1340. It is in the Rayonnant Gothic style, with its tracery radiating outward from the center. The rose window on the south transept is a copy of the north window.


Organs

File:Organ of Troyes Cathedral 20140509 2.jpg, The grand organ, made in 1730 for
Clairvaux Abbey Clairvaux Abbey (, ; la, Clara Vallis) was a Cistercian monastery in Ville-sous-la-Ferté, from Bar-sur-Aube. The original building, founded in 1115 by St. Bernard, is now in ruins; the present structure dates from 1708. Clairvaux Abbey was a ...
File:Troyes Cathédrale R04.jpg, The choir organ
The grand organ is located on a tribune over the portal on the reverse side of the west front. It was originally built in 1730 for
Clairvaux Abbey Clairvaux Abbey (, ; la, Clara Vallis) was a Cistercian monastery in Ville-sous-la-Ferté, from Bar-sur-Aube. The original building, founded in 1115 by St. Bernard, is now in ruins; the present structure dates from 1708. Clairvaux Abbey was a ...
in Burgundy. When the abbey was closed in 1793 during the Revolution, the organ was nationalised and sold at auction. It was purchased by the overseers of Troyes Cathedral, but was not put into place until 1808. It replaced the original Troyes organ, built in the 15th century and placed next to the choir. That organ had been destroyed in 1792. The installation of the new organ was controversial because it largely blocked the view of the west rose window from the nave and choir. The organ has fifty-five jeux or sounds, played with four keyboards and a set of pedals. The instrument was classified as an historical monument in 1963, and the case in 1974. The organ is decorated with statues of angels and atlantes. The cathedral has a second, smaller organ, which is located in the choir. This instrument was built in 1865 and was restored in 1987. It has thirteen jeux, played with two keyboards and a set of pedals.


Bells

Troyes Cathedral has four bourdons, heavy bells which made a deep note, for tolling on solemn occasions, Each has a name, and all made in the early 19th century, replacing the early bells taken out and melted down during the French Revolution. * Petrus Carolus - (4500 kilos, made in 1827) * Paulus Ana - (3,269 kilos, made in 1813) * Savinianus - (2,437 kilos, made in 1813) * Marie - (2000 kilos, made in 1827)


Treasury

File:Troyes - cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, trésor (02).jpg, The Coffret of Troyes (Ivory, 11th century) File:Croix de cristal 08529 Stuart.jpg, The Stuart Cross, made of crystal File:Troyes - cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, trésor (08).jpg, Reliquary of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, with silver, copper and enamel (12th century) The treasury of the cathedral was constructed at the beginning of the 13th century within the choir, next to the apse. It was particularly designed to display the collection of sacred relics which the Bishop Garnier de Traînel had brought back to France from the
Fourth Crusade The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...
. Some of the relics and other valuable objects were used as ransom for the captive King
Francois I Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...
in 1525, and others were lost during the Revolution, but the collection was gradually rebuilt. It has a particularly large collection of medieval enamel art, made by local craftsmen in the 12th century, as well as vestments, reliquaries and other medieval liturgical objects. Notable objects include the coffret of Troyes, an ivory chest of Byzantine craftsmanship from the 11th century.


Possible Indian connection

Among the stained-glass windows is one which appears to have a representation of the famous
Indo-Parthian The Indo-Parthian Kingdom was a Parthian kingdom founded by Gondophares, and active from 19 CE to c. 226 CE. At their zenith, they ruled an area covering parts of eastern Iran, various parts of Afghanistan and the northwest regions of the Indian s ...
king
Gondophares Gondophares I (Greek: Γονδοφαρης ''Gondopharēs'', Υνδοφερρης ''Hyndopherrēs''; Kharosthi: 𐨒𐨂𐨡𐨥𐨪 ', '; 𐨒𐨂𐨡𐨥𐨪𐨿𐨣 ', '; 𐨒𐨂𐨡𐨂𐨵𐨪‎ ', ') was the founder of the Indo-Parthian K ...
who was ruling in ancient Taxila from 20 to 41 CE, in what is now north-western Pakistan. According to the legends and traditions contained in the Acts of Thomas, and preserved by the Indian
Christians of St. Thomas The Saint Thomas Christians, also called Syrian Christians of India, ''Marthoma Suriyani Nasrani'', ''Malankara Nasrani'', or ''Nasrani Mappila'', are an ethno-religious community of Indian Christians in the state of Kerala (Malabar region), ...
, the
Apostle Thomas Thomas the Apostle ( arc, 𐡀𐡌𐡅𐡕𐡌, hbo, תוֹמא הקדוש or תוֹמָא שליחא (''Toma HaKadosh'' "Thomas the Holy" or ''Toma Shlikha'' "Thomas the Messenger/Apostle" in Hebrew-Aramaic), syc, ܬܐܘܡܐ, , meaning "twi ...
fled to the East after the
crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagin ...
. He stayed for some time at Gondophares' court where Thomas is said to have built a palace for him before heading on to southern India where he was, according to the legend, martyred near modern
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
(
Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
) James, M. R., 1966: "The Acts of Thomas" in ''The Apocryphal New Testament'', pp. 365–377; 434–438. Oxford).


Notes and citations


Sources

* * Balcon, Sylvie, and Philippot, Jacques, 2001. ''La cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul de Troyes''. Paris: Centre des monuments nationaux, Monum (Éditions du Patrimoine). *


See also

* Gothic cathedrals and churches * French Gothic architecture *
French Gothic stained glass windows French Gothic stained glass windows were an important feature of French Gothic architecture, particularly cathedrals and churches built between the 12th century and 16th century. While stained glass had been used in French churches in the Romanesq ...
* List of Gothic Cathedrals in Europe


External links

*
Ministère de la Culture: Archive photographs
*

*




Location of the cathedralEnglish and French medieval stained glass in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Troyes Cathedral. {{Authority control Roman Catholic cathedrals in France
Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...