Reviewing photos made last year in Berlin I finally got to the Berliner Dom. It will take me sometime to select photos for a coverage on this magnificent building. Right now my pick of the day: a woman mourning beneath one of the ceremonial sarcophagi you can admire in the Dome.
At first glance, the Cathedral of Beauvais looks like any other monumental Gothic church in northern France. But as you walk around, something feels off — there’s no nave, no bell towers, and the structure ends almost as abruptly as it begins. What happened?
Cathedral of Beauvais | Cathédrale de Beauvais | Kathedrale von Beauvais | Catedral de Beauvais | Catedral de Beauvais | Katedra w Beauvais | 博韦大教堂 | ボーヴェ大聖堂 | 보베 대성당
It looks very impressive when you approach it, especially if seen from the historical streets at its Northside. It is dominating the perspective. From far away, you can clearly see the enormous Gothic apse. And you cannot wait till you see how its whole structure is looking like.
You see the exterior of the apse with pinnacles and flying buttresses. On approach, you notice metal bars seemingly strengthening the massive structure. Getting closer, you see the impressive stained glass windows. The very decorative details of the Southern entrance are a real eye-catcher. It is not the severe early Gothic style, like in the case of the apse. The quick conclusion is that the builders started with the apse and the choir in early Medieval ages, adding later, probably during the Renaissance period, the opposite South- and Northside entrances. Nothing unusual, the construction of Medieval cathedrals was often spread over many years, even hundreds of years.
You get closer and closer, walking around the cathedral’s massive structure …
But something is clearly missing … You try to get the whole picture and ask yourself the only question on your mind …
Where are the main entrance and the bell towers? Where is the nave?
Out of curiosity, you make the round and …
… instead at the main entrance to a huge Gothic cathedral, you find yourself at an entrance to a seemingly well-preserved piece of Romanesque architecture – a church dated probably at the Carolingian time.
Cathedral of Beauvais | Cathédrale de Beauvais | Kathedrale von Beauvais | Catedral de Beauvais | Catedral de Beauvais | Katedra w Beauvais | 博韦大教堂 | ボーヴェ大聖堂 | 보베 대성당
So, let us sort out the facts.
THE GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE
Churches build in past ages, mainly of Romanesque and Gothic style, had been constructed with the apse (the back part of the church, where the choir and altar are located) directed to the East. The main entrance was to the West. Hence the central nave was spreading from the West to the East. The apse of a French Gothic church had been of a round shape with a series of small chapels in its back (crown of the chapels called in French ‘chevet’).
The churches were built to reflect a cross shape. The central nave and the apse were crossed by the transept. The transept was spreading from the North to the South. In many French churches, the transept was short, not reaching far beyond the nave. The dome (if any) or a spire was built over the crossing of the nave and the apse with the transept. The nave was usually twice as long as the apse. The bell towers had been constructed on the Westside at the main entrance. The sun while rising was seen through the Eastern windows shining over the altar and the choir (within the apse), rounded the church from the South, and in the late afternoon while setting down was shining through stained glass windows placed over the main entrance on the Westside.
THE CATHEDRAL OF BEAUVAIS
The Cathedral of Beauvais consists of solely the choir with an apse and the transept. The nave seems to be cut-off. The existing Cathedral is altogether around 73 m long, with the choir of 47 m length. The transept is about 59 m long. The height is 67 m, with the vaulting of the choir reaching 48 m. If the rule of the nave being twice as long, as the choir was kept, the central nave should have been more than 90 m long, hence longer than the whole existing length of the present-day Cathedral…
With the Roman construction still kept, at least the part of it, at the Westside of the cathedral, we may quickly get to the conclusion the promoters and the builders did not make it. Yes, they did not.
THE STORY BEHIND
The original Romanesque-style Basilica was build in Carolingian times in the second half of the Xth century. The decision to rebuild it into a Gothic cathedral was made in 1225. As the roof of the Basilica was of wood, it often caught fire. A fire-resistant stone construction seemed to be safer. The Basilica was cut off at its Eastern side to make a place for the new structure. The cutting off was carried out in three phases taking out the whole transept and altogether six bays of the nave. The remains of the Romanesque building were reconstructed in the XIX century, with some ancient Gallic elements taken from other parts of the city.
In the XIII century, the Romanesque Basilica was named the Basse-Oeuvre church to distinguish it from the newly built Gothic cathedral called Nouvel-Oeuvre.
With the choir and the apse (including seven apsidal chapels) constructed, the Gothic Cathedral was open for prayer in 1272. The original design of the choir was changed by a bishop, who wanted the cathedral to be the highest vaulted cathedral in the world. An extra 5 m of height over the choir was added. Twelve years after the construction was completed, part of the choir collapsed. Later on, additional pillars had been added to strengthen the structure, the technical design of vaulting was revised, but the revised height of the vault was kept.
The Hundert Years War and the siege of Beauvais by Charles the Bold halted the construction works for over 150 years. The war struggle caused only minor damage, so the works could have been continued on the transept. As much time passed by from the original Gothic concept (the XVI century just began), the transept was built in late Gothic flamboyant style (more decorative than early Gothic) as well as Renaissance style emerging that time. The works on the transept were completed in 1548.
It was time to build the naves. But the ambitions of the promoters were on something more spectacular. A decision was made to make the Beauvais Cathedral the biggest in the world. Six years later, an impressive spire of more than 150 m height was ready. Yes. The Beauvais Catherdal was indeed the highest in the world … for the whole four years. The spire had simply collapsed, destroying some parts of the transept. The spire was not rebuilt. The reconstruction of the transept consumed much of the funds envisaged for the nave. The nave and the bell towers were ultimately never built.
The cathedral was later devastated by a Calvinist sect during the reformation period >>> and subsequently heavily damaged during the bombings of WWII. Today you can freely visit the cathedral. While inside, you will notice some additional wooden and metal supports installed to provide for the structural stability.
The Beauvais cathedral is by far not the only one in Europe that was never completed. But in its case, it was not only a lack of funds, and war struggle that not allowed to finish the work. The promoters had sufficient funds. But at least twice the original design was changed in its core structure in line with the growing ambitions. By far, these were not only alterations in the architectural style. The changes made the core structure simply not resistant against additional burden. Parts of the cathedral collapsed twice.
If built to the end, the Beauvais cathedral would probably be among the biggest and the most impressive cathedrals in the world.
This post documents my visit to the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp — a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and a symbol of the city’s religious and artistic heritage. Through personal photos and notes, I walk through its grand nave, art treasures, and layered past.
Our Lady of Antwerp Cathedral | Cathédrale Notre-Dame d’Anvers | Liebfrauenkathedrale von Antwerpen | Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Amberes | Cattedrale di Nostra Signora di Anversa | Katedra Najświętszej Marii Panny w Antwerpii | Антверпенский собор Богоматери | 安特卫普圣母主教座堂 | アントワープの聖母大聖堂 | 안트베르펜 성모 대성당
It happens quite often that you go to a historical city intending to see a famous building. But on the spot, you see only wrappings and scaffolding. The long-needed renovation works are taking place. So it is today in Antwerp, Belgium. The famous town hall at the Grote Markt is fully wrapped and the higher spire of Our Lady cathedral for its most part, as well. The cathedral is densely surrounded by the historical city. Although the Cathedral is the largest Gothic church in the Low Countries, making clean photos is difficult.
The Antwerp Cathedral seen from the Grote Markt.
Looking from far away onto the Our Lady Cathedral, already, at first sight, one can see the discrepancy between the two towers. The question you ask yourself is, then, was it the original design or the construction works were ceased for some reason. Indeed, a Gothic Cathedral usually consists of two belfries of equal height. And so was the original design. The construction works started in the mid-XIV century. The foundation stone was laid in 1352. During this time, the city was a vital trading center (member of the Hanseatic League), contributing to its economic prosperity. The city became a major financial hub. The construcion of the Cathedral was continued.
But the XVIth century, brought religious tensions, with the rise of Protestantism and the subsequent Spanish Inquisition. Antwerp was heavily affected by the Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648), a conflict for Dutch independence from Spanish rule. In 1585, the Spanish army successfully besieged and captured Antwerp, leading to the city’s decline. In this time after 170 years, works on the Cathedral had been ceased without completion. Several years after, the Cathedral caught fire. It was saved, but the construction works had been postponed. As it turned out, for good. Water used during the firefighting efforts destroyed the ceilings and the Gothic carpentry.
Further damage, came with the French revolution. Our Lady was plundered and severely devastated. The French revolutionary government intended even its demolition, but ultimately the Cathedral was saved. The restoration works began in XIX and ended with a complex revival in the late XX century.
The interiors of Our Lady are now available for visitors for a small fee of EUR 6. Making photos inside, provided that you do not use flash, is allowed. So let us visit the Antwerp Cathedral as it looks like today.
The front looks onto the central nave. Already, at first sight, you notice that the Cathedral is also an art gallery. Some of the huge masterpieces on display are a loan from the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.
The central nave, the side naves, the dome, and the apse.
The interior seems very austere. You will not see there much gold. But the thirty-four huge stained glass windows, detailed carpentry, and huge paintings displayed in the side naves are real eye-catchers. Already, at first sight, you are under the impression, that he Cathedral is an art gallery. You may admire here the works by Rubens as well as other Flemish (or Belgian) masters.
Indeed, until the Reformation and the French revolution, pillars, chapel altars and walls of Our Lady Cathedral were decorated by great paintings of Flemish masters. During the religious and revolutionary struggles, many works were destroyed, removed, stolen, or sold. Ultimately, the Flemish authorities could recover works that survived. In 2009, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp returned eight of the most beautiful altarpieces to the Cathedral. Furthermore, from 2009, eight other works, mainly triptychs, are on loan from the Museum and had been integrated into the Cathedral’s current interior.
One of the triptychs from the Royal Museum of Fine Arts on display in the Antwerp Cathedral.
As the initially Gothic interior was completed in the renaissance, baroque, and later neo-Gothic style, walking around the Cathedral, you just must stop many times to observe the details. Do not forget to enter the oak choir-stall and to look up. The ceilings, in particular in the side naves, are decorated with frescoes of a very decent but still very decorative look.
Just a small selection of art pieces you can admire in the Cathedral.
Although admitted for visitors, the Cathedral is still an active place of worship. Understandably during a mass, it is off-limits for tourists (it includes regular masses as well as weddings and funerals). As I visited the Cathedral, it was close to 5 pm. Preparations for a mass were already taking place.
