Noyon (Oise, France) - Cathedral of La Nativité
- Disclaimer
The dating found here is based on the work of John James, and is meant on this site to serve as a starting point. James' dating is derived from a system that uses his interpretation of the development of capitals over time as the basis for chronology, among other factors. His goal is to refine the dating to within years rather than decades. I have not fully embraced James' methodology, and will be developing this page from its current state to one which is admittedly more conservative. The relative expenditure values found in the Timeline are also based on James' work, and I believe these to be reasonably reliable. They are intended only to give a sense of the amount of work involved in each decade.
I have added the idea of the "project" as a way of separating work in buildings. In my mind, a "project" is a discrete section of work in a building that resulted from the one-time acquisition of funding. "Projects" are generally separated by at least a decade where no work was being done. It is my view that it would have been unwise to start a "project" that could not be finished and protected from the elements, and as such a "project" usually involved a wing or multiple wings of a building, from floor to roof. Rural churches, which could only secure small amounts of funding at irregular intervals, often were the result of many small projects, while the great churches, which benefitted from relatively consistent funding, may have involved only a few large projects.
I have added the idea of the "project" as a way of separating work in buildings. In my mind, a "project" is a discrete section of work in a building that resulted from the one-time acquisition of funding. "Projects" are generally separated by at least a decade where no work was being done. It is my view that it would have been unwise to start a "project" that could not be finished and protected from the elements, and as such a "project" usually involved a wing or multiple wings of a building, from floor to roof. Rural churches, which could only secure small amounts of funding at irregular intervals, often were the result of many small projects, while the great churches, which benefitted from relatively consistent funding, may have involved only a few large projects.
- Timeline with Relative Expenditure (if available, in building units)
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- Project A - 1160s - Phase 1 - chapels (d)
Choir foundations to dado
- Project A - 1160s - Phase 2 - ambulatory (a)
Ambulatory capitals
- Project A - 1160s - Phase 3 - chapel (a)
Chapel vault capitals, chapel vaults
- Project A - 1160s - Phase 4 - chapel (aw)
Chapel window capitals
- Project A - 1160s - Phase 5 - e piers 1-2 (a)
Aisle piers bays 1-2
- Project A - 1160s - Phase 6 - e piers 1-2 (g)
Gallery piers bays 1-2
- Project A - 1160s - Phase 7 - choir (g) wall
Choir gallery wall
- Project A - 1170s - Phase 8 - nave 1-4 (a)
Nave aisle 1-4
- Project A - 1170s - Phase 9 - north (d)
North dado
- Project A - 1170s - Phase 10 - choir piers (a)
Choir aisle piers
- Project A - 1170s - Phase 11 - choir (g) piers
Choir gallery piers
- Project A - 1170s - Phase 12 - nave 1-3 (g)
Nave gallery 1-3
- Project A - 1170s - Phase 13 - south (d)
South dado, door to east
- Project A - 1170s - Phase 14 - n transept (t)
North transept triforium
- Project A - 1170s - Phase 15 - choir (t)
Blind choir triforium
- Project A - 1170s - Phase 16 - choir (c)
Choir clerestory, flyers and start of north transept
- Project A - 1170s - Phase 17 - s transept (t)
South transept triforium
- Project A - 1170s - Phase 18 - e towers I
East towers I
- Project A - 1170s - Phase 19 - e towers II
East towers II
- Project A - 1180s - Phase 20 - nave 4-9 (a)
Nave aisle capitals 4-9
- Project A - 1180s - Phase 21 - nave 1-2 (g)
Nave gallery 1-2
- Project A - 1180s - Phase 22 - nave 1-2 (t,c)
Nave triforium, clerestory 1-2
- Project A - 1180s - Phase 23 - n transept (c)
North transept clerestories and vaults continued into adjacent nave bays
- Project A - 1180s - Phase 24 - s transept (c)
South transept clerestories and vaults continued into adjacent nave bays
- Project A - 1180s - Phase 25 - nave 4-7 (g)
Nave gallery 4-7 in a number of campaigns
- Project A - 1180s - Phase 26 - nave 4-7 (t)
Nave triforium 4-7
- Project A - 1190s - Phase 27 - N-e portal
North door to east
- Project A - 1190s - Phase 28 - nave 10-12 (a)
Nave aisles 10-12
- Project A - 1190s - Phase 29 - nave 3-8 (g)
Nave gallery 3-8, a gradual process
- Project A - 1190s - Phase 30 - nave 3-6 (c,v)
Nave clerestory walls and vaults 3-6
- Project A - 1200s - Phase 31 - west (a,g)
West aisle and gallery
- Project A - 1200s - Phase 32 - w porch
West porch
- Project A - 1210s - Phase 33 - west (c)
West block clerestory
- Project A - 1220s - Phase 34 - w tower
West tower
- Primary Sources for Dating
1131 - NOYON
Fire
Fire
The cathedral of the Virgin, and almost all of the town of Noyon were burned,…
1131 - NOYON
Fire mentioned in letter from Pope Innocent II
Fire mentioned in letter from Pope Innocent II
…and the mother church with the house of the bishop was burned by a fire and reparation of the church for the honor and service of the Lord…
1157 - NOYON
Translation of relics from the church of St-Eloi to the cathedral
Translation of relics from the church of St-Eloi to the cathedral
In the year of our lord 1157, during the reign of Louis the younger, to Balduin the aforementioned bishop of Noyon, and the memory of the venerable Simon his successor, he was decently and honorably raised up, and shown to the clergy and the people of God, and in the presence of the devoted was placed into a golden casket…
1183 - NOYON
Chaplainship provided for altar of Bishop's chapel
Chaplainship provided for altar of Bishop's chapel
Renaud, elected bishop instituted a chaplain at the altar of Saint Nicholas in the Palatine chapel of the bishop of Noyon in the year 1183.
1183 - NOYON
Chaplainship provided for altar of Bishop's chapel
Chaplainship provided for altar of Bishop's chapel
Renaud, elected bishop instituted a chaplain at the altar of Saint Nicholas in the Palatine chapel of the bishop of Noyon in the year 1183.
1231 - NOYON
Tower bells to be rung on great occasions
Tower bells to be rung on great occasions
…to ring the bells with great solemnity, sounding a summons to all who would come to the offices.