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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The collegiate Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais de Gisors, located in the Eure in Normandy, is a religious building whose oldest part, the central tower, dates back to the last quarter of the 12th century. The choir, built in the francilian Gothic style, was built in the 13th century, while the nave, the lower side and the chapels were rebuilt between the late 15th and mid 16th centuries in a flamboyant Gothic style. The church was partially destroyed by a fire in 1124, then rebuilt under Louis VII around 1160, before being enlarged by the donations of the local brotherhoods and guilds.

The western facade and the large southwest tower, which began in 1541, marked a transition to the Renaissance style, although the construction site was interrupted by lack of funds between 1542 and 1558. The tower, left unfinished, alternates doric and ionic orders with baroque sculptures. The interior features architectural features such as the disappearance of the triforium in the nave, typical of Norman flamboyant gothic, and side chapels decorated with Renaissance stained glass windows, including a remarkable manerist stained glass of 1545 attributed to the school of Fontainebleau.

Ranked a historic monument in 1840, the church suffered extensive destruction in 1940 and remains in restoration. Its cruciform plan, 70 metres long nave and 24 metres high make it a building comparable to cathedrals in northern France. Among its notable elements are a Renaissance spiral staircase inspired by Blois, a tree of Jesse carved in 1593, and a 16th century transi reminiscent of the vanity of life.

The religious brotherhoods and the merchant guilds of the 15th and 16th centuries financed its embellishment, as evidenced by the carved pillars (pillar of dolphins, pillar of Saint James) and chapels dedicated to the Virgin or Saint Crepin. The choir, inspired by Notre-Dame de Paris, retains a three-level elevation, while the transept has arches with liernes and thirdons, characteristic of late Gothic art.

Outside, the western facade mixes Gothic and Renaissance, framed by two towers, including the Grosse Tour (1542–1590), unfinished, which evokes the monumental ambitions of the period by its dimensions and decor. The north doors of the transept, carved in Renaissance style, illustrate the early adoption of this new artistic language in the region.

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