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Origin and history

The Saint-Maclou Cathedral of Pontoise, originally built as a parish church in the middle of the 12th century, was consecrated at that time. It became cathedral in 1966 when the diocese of Pontoise was founded, after having been classified as a historical monument in 1840. Its architecture reflects primitive Gothic influences and major changes in the 15th and 16th centuries, notably after the collapse of its central bell tower in 1309, repaired thanks to the butchers of the city.

In the 16th century, the church underwent significant changes: the north side was replaced by a double side flanked by chapels, and a new western facade was erected. The vault of the transept cross, rebuilt in 1541 by Jean Delamarre, incorporates Renaissance elements, as well as the capitals and stained glass windows of the chapel of the Passion, dated 1545. These changes reflect the adaptation of the building to the artistic tastes of the period, combining flamboyant Gothic motifs and Renaissance ornaments.

The French Revolution marked a turning point for the cathedral: the central bell tower was demolished in 1785, the statues of the western gate burned, and the building transformed into a Temple of Reason and then into a grain hall. In the 19th century, restorations were undertaken, such as the reconstruction of the western rose in 1883 or the clearance of the bedside between 1907 and 1911. Recent work (2018-2021) has resulted in the restoration of the roof and vaults.

The interior houses remarkable furniture, including an organ of Cavaillé-Coll (1877) in an 18th century buffet, classified Renaissance stained glass windows, and sculptures such as the group of the Holy Sepulcher (1550). Funeral slabs, dating from the 14th to the 18th centuries, recall its central role in the parish and social life of Pontoise. Today, the cathedral remains a symbol of the religious and architectural heritage of Val-d'Oise.

Its initial cruciform plan, modified by successive additions, includes a nave of seven spans, an asymmetric transept, a hemicycle choir surrounded by a walk-in, and four portals, including a major example of Renaissance art. The western facade, dissymmetric, combines Gothic elements (rosace, buttress) and Renaissance (dome of the bell tower).

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