Sées Cathedral

The Cathedral of Sées is a Gothic church in the French community Sées ( Seez ), on the southern border between Normandy and Pays de la Loire and episcopal see of the Diocese of Sées. It was built largely in the 13th century and now renewed mainly due to structural defects.

History

The Romanesque predecessor was inserted in 1174 by King Henry II in fire. This church was dedicated to St. Gervase and Protasius and served primarily the preservation of relics of the saints. The transfer of the relics is celebrated on 13 December.

The reconstruction in the coming years as a Gothic cathedral should be done quickly and do not cause high costs. The foundations were not passed down to the solid ground. The consequences of this decision led to instability and threatened the cathedral during the next centuries. At the beginning of the 13th century the nave was built, completed in the late 13th century choir and transept. The facade construction began in the 14th century, but is now quite changed. The church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

1516 was feared, the towers could collapse, and so heavy buttresses were placed against the wall, the lower floors of the towers disappeared in the course of time behind a massive support garment.

Nevertheless, soon pounced on a vault of the nave. Only in 1740 was begun to secure the equally vulnerable choir.

At the beginning of the 19th century, numerous columns were replaced on the exterior cast iron and stone colors deleted. The paint was peeling and the dark tone of the iron is now in strong contrast to the stone. Since 1849 the whole building was slowly put on new, deeper foundations. 1850-52 the south transept was renewed, under the northern collected and provided to 1880 with new foundations. Then the choir was completely dismantled and rebuilt on new foundations.

At the beginning of the 20th century followed the foundations of the aisle walls. The cathedral was saved in this way, but still have the retaining walls of the towers on the facade and the choir witnesses an endangered past.

Stylistic elements of the Church

Affairs

The ship shows the sharp, hard lines and the rich ornamentation of the Norman Gothic.

The choir and his surviving window, however, are under the influence of the rich luster of the late High Gothic.

The services of the crossing piers are intercepted on heads.

Organ

The organ was built in 1743 by organ builder Claude Parisot with 29 stops on four manuals and pedal. The organ case was built by Jacques Chapelain on the model of the organ case in the Abbey Mondaye. 1882 instrument according to interim changes of Aristide Cavaillé -Coll was completely reorganized. Today it has 32 ​​registers on three manuals and pedal.