Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Étienne Cathedral of Auxerre, located in the Yonne in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, is a Gothic building whose construction was built from the 4th quarter of the 11th century to the 16th century. It succeeds four earlier sanctuaries, including an 11th century Romanesque church destroyed by a fire in 1023, whose crypt today remains. The Gothic building began in 1215 under the impetus of Bishop William of Seignelay, but the works, slowed down by wars (Cent Years, Religion) and financial problems, spread over more than three centuries. The nave, the choir (completed around 1235), and the stained glass windows of the walk-in (12th century) illustrate this slow stylistic evolution, mixing primitive Gothic, radiant and flamboyant.

The construction site was marked by key phases: the installation of the stained glass windows of the walkway (1250), the construction of the transept's southern crusillon (1300–1320), and the late completion of the north tower (1543), the only one completed in the two planned towers. The Wars of Religion (1567) damaged the building, including its statuary and glass windows, partially restored under Bishop Jacques Amyot (1576). The Revolution (1790) transformed the cathedral into a Temple of Reason, destroying furniture and silverware, but saving the stained glass windows, too expensive to replace. Ranked a Historical Monument in 1840, it benefited from major restorations in the 19th and 20th centuries, notably by Viollet-le-Duc (1844–48) for the crypt.

The architecture of Saint-Étienne reflects these historical strata: a gothic lanceolate choir (XIIIth century), a radiant nave (XIVth century), and flamboyant facades (XVIth century). His stained glass windows (XIIIth–XVIth centuries), among the best preserved in France with those of Chartres, narrated biblical scenes and the lives of saints. The Romanesque crypt (11th century), with enigmatic frescoes (Christ rider, angels), and the unique north tower (68 m), symbolize this composite heritage. The treasure, the organs (XIXth century), and the bells (XIXth century) complete this ensemble, still in restoration since 2001.

The cathedral is part of a medieval canonial complex, including the former Church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Cité (IIIth century), the Episcopal Palace (now prefecture), and canonical houses (XVth-15th centuries). This neighborhood, religious and political heart of Auxerre, illustrates urban evolution around episcopal power. The revolutionary destructions and subsequent restorations preserved this major testimony of the Burgundian sacred art, where are mixed Parisian influences (rosaces, portals) and local particularisms (vitrals, statuary).

External links