The fundamental principle behind toichology is observation. We can look for consistency in order to determine which portions of a building were constructed at the same time, or we can look for anomalies in order to find breaks in construction and changes in design concept. Usually, common sense will allow us to determine which portions of a building came before or after others, and this in turn allows us to develop a relative chronology. Further study of details and carving styles allows us to narrow the dating of those portions, and in the end we should be able to arrive at a convincing chronology of construction for any given building. On this page we present initial observations and speculate about the likely implications for chronology.

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Project K - West Facade Peculiar Alignment The west facade follows a winding path along the front of the building. Implications For most of the history of the church, there was a hospital or hotel-dieu to the west of the church, and the space between them was limited. The original church probably ended with a flat north-south wall, the west wall of the narthex, and the west walls of the original aisles were probably set back from this plane. It appears the new plan was to maximize every inch of space and bring the new facade out to the road that existed between church and hotel-dieu.

Project K - West Facade Blocked Window There is a blocked window on the north end of the facade. Implications This window is evident from the interior, and now serves as a niche housing a statue of the Virgin.

Project K - West Facade West Portals Because of the peculiarities of the facade, the central and south portal are paired, while the north is somewhat isolated. Implications The sculpture of the portals and their capitals point to a date in the early part of 13th century.

Project K - West Facade West Portals The north portal is of a very different character than the central and south portal. Implications This portal was isolated by a narrowing in the road at this point and by the consolidation of the narthex at the ground level. At some point the space behind it was converted to a chapel, and the portal was abandoned and blocked up on the interior side.

Project K - West Facade North Chapel The north chapel is wider but not as deep as that on the south. Implications The interior of this space was lined with ashlar and provided with windows and vaulting. The south wall was also lined, cleaning up the rubble surface of the original narthex and its staircase. The windows into the staircase were retained. At the entrance, the original double arch of the aisle was removed entirely, and replaced by the narrower opening. This necessitated a corbel under the south side of the new arch, but also served to partially correct the 81cm misalignment of the original arch. Just visible at the top of the photo, the earlier groin vault was cut into in order to accommodate this new arch.

Project K - West Facade South Chapel The south chapel is narrow and deep, owing to the line of the road just to the south. Implications As on the south, a new arch was provided into this space, but this time under the existing original doubleau arch, which is still clearly visible. The south shaft was encapsulated, and a wide arch was provided into the space. Although it now serves as a sort of chapel, this area may have been a primary entrance into the church for daily users. The capitals under the new arch are very similar to those in the south transept, and it is likely that work in this area followed shortly after the south transept. There is an odd assortment of corbels in this space in an attempt to provide support for rib vaults. the lining on the north side of the space ends at the west in a keyed joint, never connected directly to the facade. Closer scrutiny of this area is needed to tease out the construction sequence.

Project K - West Facade Narthex Infill On the north side of the narthex, to arched recesses were installed as part of the dressing up of the new base for the tower and the connection to the facade Implications The fact that these arches are of the same size and are centered on this wall indicates that the designers knew the distance between the east corner (right) and the facade (left), which in turn suggests that the facade wall predates this infill.

Project K - West Facade Narthex Infill On the south side of the narthex, arched recesses were also installed. Implications These arches are the same size as those on the north, but not aligned with them, being pushed to the west. This is another indicator that the masons knew the west facade was not parallel to the east wall of the narthex. It is also the case the both the north and south walls are not aligned north-south, and that they are angled differently in order to frame the main entrance, yet another indicator that the main entrance was in place before these linings were constructed.

Project K - West Facade Narthex Infill The main entrance and the window above it are centered on the narthex lining. Implications No accommodation was made for rib vaults at the ground level, and the shafts begin only above the level of the stair opening and the presumed upper level of the narthex to which that opening led. Any traces of where that original floor was were covered over by the new facing, but it was probably at the same height as the current floor. The flooring in the center may be a reflection of the original, while that to the left was added as part of the organ loft.

Project K - West Facade West Wall There is infilling in the west wall behind the later organ loft. Implications This was likely the last major project to be completed. The interior of the narthex at ground level was achieved, and above that provision was made for rib vaulting. The ashlar facing carried around to the west wall and was integrated with the existing keyed joint. The fact that the course heights nearly match indicates that they started from the keyed joint and worked their way to the facade. Above the arch into this space (seen just above and behind the organ), there is a small opening which leads to a small chamber between the nave and tower, another connection finally executed.