St. Etienne Cathedral in Bourges

Paper Summary:

The paper is on the history and design of St. Etienne Cathedral in Bourges, France, which is a good example of gothic church architecture. The constuction of the cathedral is examined and the paper discusses typical French Gothic style.

From the Paper:

"St. Etienne Cathedral in Bourges, France is a good example of gothic church architecture. This edifice, along with Cathedral Chartres, is the first cathedral of the high-Gothic era and was the starting point for the typical French Gothic style. Construction on the cathedral began in 1195, and the choir was completed in 1214, the nave between 1225-1250, and the west facade sometime in the 1270's. The north tower fell in 1505 and was rebuilt in 1542 ("Cathedral, Bourges No. 1" paras. 1-2). The plan of the cathedral is simple and was derived from the plan for Notre-Dame de Paris. At least, the exterior is so derived, while the interior is quite different from that more famous cathedral. The basic structure involves double-sided aisles, and it is double ambulatory and has no transept. The volume of the nave is the same as the cathedral at Chartres, with a width of 15 meters and a height of 37.."

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