BEAUVAIS CATHEDRAL

FRANCE

ELIE ABETIAN
201800313
HOLY SPIRIT UNIVERSITY – KASLIK
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE – LINA FADOUS
 BEAUVAIS CATHEDRAL
OVERVIEW
1. INTRODUCTION
2. ARCHITECTS
3. HISTORY AND PURPOSE
4. CHRONOLOGY
5. DIMENSIONS AND MATERIALS
6. PLANS AND SECTIONS
7. EXTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL (WITH FACADES)
8. INTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL
9. REFRENCES
 1-INTRODUCTION
 The cathedral is situated 60 Km away from Paris.
 One of the most important architectural works in the gothic architecture.
 It holds the record for the highest ceiling in a gothic choir (48.5 m).
 Other name : Saint-Pierre Cathedral of Beauvais.
 It collapsed twice.
 Today, only the choir and transept survive.
 2-ARCHITECTS
There were three architects
1. Martin Chambiges 2. Jean Vast
(1460-1532) was a French architect working in the
gothic flamboyant style. His works are : 3. Enguerrand Le Riche
• Sens Cathedral They both worked on the structure of the
cathedral.
• Senlis Cathedral
• Beauvais Cathedral
He was honored by the French and has a street
named after him.
 3-HISTORY AND PURPOSE
The cathedral shows the ambition of the builders because they were unable of completing it. Starting
construction in 1225, the cathedral was meant to be the greatest church in the kingdom but with time it
experienced many problems and structural collapses. What exists today, the choir and the transept, is
impressive enough for us to imagine what the finished project would have been. Despite its size, it is not
currently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, unlike neighboring Amiens Cathedral.
 4.CHRONOLOGY
1225 – 1272 : Apse and Choir
completed
1284 – 1322 : Vaults are rebuilt with
additional piers
1500 : Construction of south transept
starts
1510 – 1537 : Construction of north
transept
17 April 1573 : Masons prepare to
reinforce the tower supports
30 April 1573 : Tower partially collapsed
 5.DIMENSIONS AND MATERIALS
DIMENSIONS MATERIALS
Total length 70 m Tower Stone
Height of great 21.2 m Wood
Arcades Arches Stone
Height of great 17 m Columns Stone
bays Walls Stone
Choir Height of vault 46.77 m Vault Masonry
Nave Width 16 m At that time they were using bricks instead of limestone
Northern rose Diameter 11 m and mortar as an old from of cement.
Southern rose Diameter 11 m
Tower Height 151.59 m
Transept Length 58 m
6.PLANS AND SECTIONS
 SECTIONS

Section Beauvais

Choir Section
 7.EXTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL
The Northern and Southern Façades of the Transept.

The Southern
Facade

The North Facade

Basse Oeuvre

The Chevet
10 large, strong and elegant buttresses, 50 metres in
height, counteract the weight of the choir.
8.INTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL

17 metres of glasswork allows light to stream inside, the glass

windows illuminate the interior of the cathedral. Rose windows were
added as a donation in the 16th century.
Impressive in size, 11m in diameter.
 The ambulatory
The ambulatory has three
storeys, which is unusual for
French Gothic cathedrals.
Above the arcades on the
1st level, the clerestory
stretches for 70m.

The ambulatory is 20 m high

and has 7 rayonnant chapels,
each 12.5m high and 6.6m
deep.
 The Choir

The choir has high walls.

The piers were thickened
after the choir collapsed
in 13th century.

Interior view of
choir vaulting
 The Astronomical Clock
of Beauvais Cathedral

The jewel of the cathedral’s interior is

the astronomical clock which, built
between 1865 and 1868 by the
clockmaker Auguste Vérité, was based
on a model of the Strasbourg clock.

The clock contains an extraordinary

90,000 components, including 68
clockwork figures! The faces of the
clock indicate the time, tides and the
movements of the stars.
 The Treasure of Beauvais Cathedral
The cathedral Saint Peter of Beauvais also houses some of the greatest treasures belonging to a
cathedral in France, with a collection of over a thousand artefacts. Unlike other French
cathedrals, the treasure of Beauvais cathedral did not fall victim to sackings during the various
revolutions. That said, it is not possible for visitors to view the treasure.

Practical Information

The city of Beauvais organizes many guided tours. The cathedral is open for visits
from Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 12.15pm and from 2pm to 5.30pm. Tours are
not admitted on Sundays until after services.
 9.REFRENCES

 www.ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com
 www.360cities.net/image/beauvais-cathedral-inside
 http://www.abelard.org/france/cathedral_giants_amiens_beauvais.php