Bourges Cathedral (Cathédrale St-Étienne) 

Bourges Cathedral by night. Photo under GFDL.


Side view of the nave in winter. Photo Wagner51.


Tympanum of the Last Judgment. Photo Nicholas Thompson.


Detail of Eve on the tympanum. Photo Nicholas Thompson.


The exceptionally long Gothic nave of Bourges Cathedral. Public domain.


An astonishingly tall side aisle. Photo Nicholas Thompson.


A whimsical creature in a choir window. Photo Nicholas Thompson.


An angel appears to Zechariah. Photo Nicholas Thompson.


Clergy boil in hell on the rood screen. Photo Nicholas Thompson.

The Cathédrale St-Étienne in Bourges, near the Loire Valley, is a magnificent early Gothic cathedral on par with its more famous neighbors to the north. It is based on the Notre-Dame in Paris but with improvements in design, which can be seen especially in the astonishing height of the aisles.

For its unique feats of architecture, impressive sculptures and glorious 13th-century stained glass windows, Bourges Cathedral has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

History

This has been a site of Christian worship since the 3rd century, when the Roman city of Avaricum sheltered the first Christian community in Gaul. Successive monumental crypts were built here in the 3rd, 4th and 9th centuries.

The first cathedral of Bourges was a Romanesque edifice, built in the 11th century by Archbishop Gozlin, the brother of Robert II of France. A century later, this was determined to be too small; rebuilding in the brand-new Gothic style began in 1195. Funding was provided in large part by a donation from Henri de Sully, Bishop of Bourges (and brother of the Bishop of Paris).

The construction begun in 1195. The lower church was built about 1200 to raise the choir to the desired height, then the choir was completed in 1214. The nave was finished by about 1230, but then work slowed down considerably.

The west facade was constructed throughout the latter half of the 13th century. In 1313, great cracks began to appear in the southern tower, which had to be supported by extensive buttressing. The structural problems are such that it has never been able to carry bells, thus being dubbed a "deaf tower."

The new Cathedral of Bourges was finally dedicated on May 13, 1324, but the north tower was still incomplete. This was finished by the end of the 15th century, but then came crashing down in 1505.

The north tower was rebuilt in 1542 in a Gothic style harmonious with the much older facade, although some Renaissance elements crept in. It is known as the Tour de Beurre (Butter Tower), since it was funded by offering donors an exemption from fasting during Lent.

What to See

Bourges Cathedral has a highly unique floor plan. It has no transepts, which form the cross-shape of most churches. This lends the cathedral a unique appearance inside and out. On the exterior, thick walls and a myriad of flying buttresses support the unbroken weight of the long nave (122m/400 ft).

Inside, around the central nave wrap two side aisles that flow continuously into two ambulatories at the east end. This unique, transept-free layout allows for a much longer view down the aisles, which is made even more striking by the exceptionally great height of the aisles. In other churches these would be much lower than the nave.

The west facade is among the broadest of the Gothic cathedrals in France, at over 40 meters. Each aisle has its own door at the west end, making a total of five portals. All are beautifully carved; one tells the life story of St. Stephen.

The central door features a 13th-century tympanum of the highest quality, depicting the Last Judgment in figurative carvings alive with movement and imagination. The devils come complete with snakes' tailes and faces appearing below the waist, symbolic of the soul enslaved to sinful appetites.

Magnificent stained glass windows from the 12th and 13th centuries fill the cathedral, but are especially astonishing in the choir. The windows of the choir all date from between 1215 and 1225 and tell New Testament stories in exquisite, jewel-toned detail. Binoculars or a zoom lens are highly recommended to fully appreciate the individual scenes.

Another notable feature are the polychrome statues of Jean de Berry, the great artistic patron of late 14th-century Bourges, and his wife. These can be found kneeling in prayer on either side of the central chapel in the apse. Look also for the astronomical clock in the nave, which commemorates the wedding of Charles VII and Marie d'Anjou here on April 22, 1422.

Two towers of the cathedral are available for climbing under a single admission ticket. The Tour de Beurre is on the northwest side of the nave aisle and provides magnificent views over Bourges and the countryside beyond. It was rebuilt in flamboyant style after the original collpased in 1506.

The crypt, which is more properly called a lower church, was built in 1200 and mirrors the double ambulatory above, with beautiful vaulting. It contains what's left of the tomb (built 1422-38) of Jean de Berry, which includes an alabaster statue of the duke with a sleeping bear at his feet, symbolizing strength. Nearby is a semicircle of tombs of Bourges’ archbishops.

The dark center of the crypt contains a polychrome Holy Sepulchre from the 1530s under a panelled baldachino. Also on display are fragments of the original rood screen, which managed to survive the Protestant seige of 1562 but not 18th-century fashions. It was returned here from the Louvre in 1994. Among the stone carvings are the jaws of hell and clergy boiling in a pot.

Stretching southeast from the cathedral are the impressively landscaped Jardins de l'Archevêché (archbishop's gardens), from which one of the best views of the cathedral can be enjoyed.

Quick Facts

Location Map

Below is a location map and aerial view of Bourges Cathedral. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our France Map or get our free Google Earth download.

Sources

1. Bourges Cathedral - UNESCO World Heritage List
2. Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Bourges - French Wikipedia
3. Rough Guide to France 9 (April 2005), 543-44.
4. Tour et crypte de la Cathedrale de Bourges - Centres des Monuments Nationaux

Sacred Destinations Home    Contact Us    About Us    About Images    Photo Prints    Advertise    Travel Blog    Spiritual Tours    Travel Blog    Timeshares    Privacy Policy
Except where indicated otherwise, all content and images © 2005-08 Sacred Destinations. All rights reserved.
Free content for your Google homepage or website! Get our photo gadget.
Sacred Destinations is an online travel guide to sacred sites, pilgrimages, holy places, religious history, sacred places, historical religious sites, archaeological sites,
religious festivals, sacred sites, spiritual retreats, religious travel and spiritual journeys. We are a Yahoo Pick!
Popular categories: Ancient Mysteries, Biblical Sites, Cathedrals, Catholic Shrines, Dead on Display, Footsteps of Jesus, Luther Sites