Laon, Notre-Dame

Map

Studies

X These draft studies have been written as if all carvings were by an individual whereas they can equally be analysed as template modes employed by a number of carvers. The more personal approach was necessitated by the complexity of the data. The drafts will be reconsidered after I have added the rib vault material to the database.

1134/45 ca. - 1174 Work in progress. DEDIT ECCLESIE LAUDENSI DUO TAPETA DORSALIA IN QUIBUS XII MENSES ET XII SIGNA PULCHERRIME SUNT INTEXTA. DEDIT NOVISSIME OPERI LAUDNENSI CENTUM LIBRAS PRETER VIGINTII LIBRAS BONE MONETE QUAS EIDEM OPERI AB INITIO CONTULERAT ANNUATIM He dedicates to the church of Laon two dorsal coverlets in which the 12 months and the 12 signs are finely embroidered. He dedicates to the new works at Laon 100 livres as well as 20 livres for the works at the beginning of each year. Source: Martyrologie et Nécrologie, Bibliotheque de Laon, No. 341, fol. 168, ii Id. Julii Gautier died in 1174. Clark and King, Laon Cathedral, pg. 23, argue that as Gautier had held offices in the Chapter before becoming bishop, the date of his elevation to the see in 1155 cannot be considered a terminus post quem. The first document signed by him is dated 1145. (Cartulaire du chapitre, fol. 183)

1158 By Bishop Gautier ...DEDIT AD STALLA FACIENDA IBIDEM PRO VENDENDIS CARNIBUS ET PISCIBUS ET CETERIS VENALIBUS CONCESSERUNT... ...dedicates for stalls to be fashioned proceeds from the sale of meat and fish and other sales... Source: Archives Nationales, Paris, L731, no. 11.

1158 OMNI AUTEM IUS ET IUSTICIAM QUAM NOS ET CASTALLANUS IN PLATEA ANTE ECCLESIAM UBI STALLA FUERANT HABUIMUS IN PRAEDICTA PLATEA ANTE PORTA CLAUSTRI UBI STALLA SUNT... Also the rights and justices which we and the castellan have in the street before the church where the stalls had been and the aforementioned street next to the door of the cloister where the stalls are... Source: Archives de l'Aisne, Laon, G1850, fol. 187.

1159 Service for contributors to the foundation Comme l'église de Laon commençait a respirer...le chapitre jugea à propos d'ordonner qu'on fairait un service général et solennel pour tous les chanoines prêtres et autres qui avoient contribué, a la fondation... As the church of Laon had begun to come to life...the chapter considered whether to order that a common and solemn service should be done for the canons, priests and others who had contributed to the foundation... Source: Leleu, C., Mémoires pour servir...l'histoire de la ville de Laon et du pays Laonnais, depuis l'an 304 jusqu'en 1722, Laon, 1722, i, 652. The text is only known in a paraphrase in French.

1159 Land donated by Hugo de Bosco DE TOTA TERRA QUE EST RECTO STALLA QUAM CONCESSIT CAPELLAM HUGONI DE BOSCO ET HEREDIBUS IN PERPETUUM PRO XXX SOLIDOS CATHALANEN All of the land which is to the right of the market stalls is conceded by Hugo de Bosco and his descendants in perpetuity for 30 sous... Source: Archives de l'Aisne, Laon, G1850, fol. 187.

1159 Stalls in front of church to be moved to the south. EGO LISIARDUS LAUDUNENSIS SIS ECCLESIE DECANUS ET [CAPLIN]...QUOD TOTAM TERRAM ILLAM QUE EST IN ALODIO NOSTRO POST STALLA PRETENDITUR RECTALINEA A DOMO... I, Lisiardus, and the deans and chaplains of the church of Laon,...that all the land which stretches from our market stalls across to the house... Source: Archives de l’Aisne, G 1850, fol. 187. Act of Lisiardus

1159 Service for contributors to the foundation. Comme l’église de Laon commençait a respirer...le chapitre jugea à propos d’ordonner qu’on fairait un service général et solennel pour tous les chanoines prêtres et autres qui avoient contribué, a la fondation... As the church of Laon had begun to come to life...the chapter considered whether to order that a common and solemn service should be done for the canons, priests and others who had contributed to the foundation... Source: Leleu, 1722, i, 652. The text is only known in a paraphrase in French.

1173 The progress of the construction DOMOS LAUDUNENSIS RUINOSAS OPTIME REPARAVIT. CAPELLAM QUO SANCTI NICHOLAI ET SANCTI JACOBI A FUNDAMENTO ET STRUXIT [] DUOS IN PERPETUUM CAPELLANOS...TURRIM APUD POILLIACUM OPTIMAM ELEVAVIT UBI PARIT[] MUNITIONEM MURO... The ruined houses of Laon were also repaired. The chapels of Saint-Nicholas and Saint-Jacques were founded and constructed [and] given two chaplains in perpetuity...and towers were also raised in the fortification walls... Source: Archives de l'Aisne, Laon, G1850, fol. 121.

1177 Two candles for the high altar ...2 cierges brulant perpetuellement...grand autel. ...two candles burning perpetually...high altar. Source: Archives de l'Aisne, Laon, G1850, fol. 11.

1178 Garnerus bequeathed his house to the Chapter POST OBITUM VERO UTRIUSQUE ECCLESIA DOMUM AD FACIENDUM PLATEAM ANNUM IANUAS ECCLESIE DESTRUET... After his death they will destroy each of the houses near the church in order to create a plaza before the doors of the church. Source: Archives de l'Aisne, Laon, G1850, fol. 191. Act of Lisiardus

1180 Destruction of house to west of cathedral 1179 - FEB. DE DESTRUCTIONE EDIFICIUM QUOD BEATI MARIAE NUAZ EXTENDERAT SUPER PLATEAM ANTE ECCLESIAM LAUDUNENSIS... 1179 - QUODAM EDIFICIO QUOD INUISTE EXTENDERAT SUPER PLATEAM QUE EST ANTE ECCLESIAM BEATI MARIE 1179 - February. On the destruction of the buildings which the people of Notre-Dame had extended over the plaza before the church of Laon... 1179 - A building which had been extended over the plaza before the church of Notre-Dame. Source: Archives de l'Aisne, Laon, G1850, fol. 42. Act of Lisiardus

1197 Donation for the roofs of the church and cloister, 4 June. 2 NONES JUNII - DEDIT ETIAM QUADRINGINTA SOLIDOS AD REEDIFICATIONEM MATRIS ECCLESIE ET QUADRINGINTA AD COOPERIENDUM CLAUSTRELLUM. June 4 - Donates forty sols to the rebuilding of the mother church and forty for the roof of the cloister. Source: Bibl. Mun. Laon, Nécrologie, No. 341, fol. 133.

1202 Conserning the plaza in front of the cathedral. ...UT NULLE LICEAT STALLA IBI PONES AD VENDENDUM CARNES UT PISCES UT ALIUD ALIQUID VENALE IBIDEM EX PONES. ...in order that no one be permitted to place a stall there for the sale of meat or fish or whatever else. Source: Archives Nationales, L 731, Nos. 50-51. Also Archives de l’Aisne, G 1850, fol. 282. Act of Radulfus de Sarto. Also Adenauer, 1934, 74-75.

1202-1203 Clearing space to the west of the church Concession de la place devant l'église, et defense d'y faire le marché... Concession of the place before the church, and interdiction from holding the market there... Source: Archives de l'Aisne, Laon, G1850, fol. 282-283.

1205 Donation of quarry at Chermizy JOHANNES NOBILIS VIR DE CHERMISI DEDIT IN ELEMOSINAM IN PERPETUUM ECCLESIE BEATE MARIE LAUDUNENSIS ASSENSU, GERTRUDIS MATRIS SUE, TERRAM AD FODIENDUM ET EXTRA HENDUM LAPIDES AD OPUS ET OFFICINAS ECCLESIE SUPRADICTE. Jean of Chermisy dedicates in alms in perpetuity to the church of Notre-Dame at Laon, with the approval of Gertrude his mother, land for excavating and pulling up stones for the work and offices of the abovementioned church. Source: Archives Nationales, Paris, L731, 57.

1208 Alms given to the church ...IN ELEMOSINAM SUB HAC FORMA [GD] NOS PERSOLUEMUS ANNUATUM ECCLESIE BEATE MARIE DE LONGA AQUE XL SOLIDOS... ...we will give alms to the church of Notre-Dame at Laon in the amount of 40 sous per year... Source: Archives Nationales, Paris, L731, no. 62.

1208 Alms given. ...IN ELEMOSINAM SUB HAC FORMA [GD] NOS PERSOLUEMUS ANNUATUM ECCLESIE BEATE MARIE DE LONGA AQUE XL SOLIDOS... ...we will give alms to the church of Notre-Dame at Laon in the amount of 40 sous per year... Source: Arch. Nat., L 731, No. 62.

1214, January Clearing space to the west of the church SUPRA IUSTICIA PLATEA ANTE ECCLESIAM TOTUM ILLAM PLATEAM SICUT [PORI] IGITUR AB ANULO IN FIXO MURO SANCTI MARTINI...AD ECCLESIAM SANCTI REMIGII RECTA LINEA ET INDE USQUE AD DOMUS BASELARDI QUE SITA EST ULTRA PIRGUM... ...over the rights to the plaza in front of the church and all of the plaza which is formed from a ring fixed in the wall of Saint-Martin...perpendicular to the church of Saint-Remy and all the way to the house of Baselardus which is beyond the roadway... Source: Archives de l'Aisne, Laon, G1859, fol. 129.

1222 Clearing space to the west of the church IN PRAEDICTA PLATEA SICUT EXTENDITUR RECTA LINEA AB ANULO QUI EST INFIXUS IN MURO SANCTI MARTINI USQUE AD ANULUM SANCTI REMIGII IN OPPOSITA PARTE ET USQUE AD PRAEDICTAM DOMUS BASELARDI QUE EST ULTRA PIRGUM ET NEC CUI LIBET ALII LICEBIT EDIFICARE VEL IN FIGERE VEL ALIUD IMPEDIMENTUM QUOD LIBET PONERE... In the aforementioned plaza made by a straight line extended from a ring which is fixed in the wall of Saint-Martin perpendicular to a ring in Saint-Remy on the opposite side, and all the way to the aforementioned house of Baselardus that is beyond the roadway and it is permitted neither to build nor attach nor to place any other hinderance... Source: Archives de l'Aisne, Laon, G1850, fol. 282-283.

1226, May Reference to new portal on north side DOMUS EDIFICATE ET EDIFICANDE SICUT INCEPTUM EST AB NOVO HOSTIO ECCL{ES}IE ANTE HOSPITALE BEATE MARIE USQUE AD TURRI{M} BEATI THOME IP{S}I ECCL{ES}IE LAUDUN{ENSIS} REMANEANT... A house was built and the construction began on the new door of the church in front of the hospital of Notre-Dame right up to the remaining tower of Saint Thomas of this church of Laon... Source: Archives de l'Aisne, Laon, G1850, fols. 138v-139. On stylistic grounds this may refer to the north tower door, but without the tympanum, Clark and King, Laon Cathedral, pp. 24-25.

Undated, 4 June Alexander, dean and canon, left 40 libras for the roofs of the church and cloister 2 NONES JUNII - DEDIT ETIAM QUADRINGINTA SOLIDOS AD REEDIFICATIONEM MATRIS ECCLESIE ET QUADRINGINTA AD COOPERIENDUM CLAUSTRELLUM. June 4 - Donates forty sols to the rebuilding of the mother church and forty for the roof of the cloister. Source: Obituary in Laon Bibliothèque Municipale MS 341, 133.

Undated, 4 June Alexander, dean and canon, left 40 sols for the roofs of the church and cloister ...pour la réparer, parce que les orages l'avaient en partie descouverte, et quarante sols pour couvrir le cloistreau..." ...to repair it [the church], because of the storms which had in part uncovered it, and forty sols for covering the cloister... Source: Leleu C., Mémoires, ii, pg. 746. Clark and King, Laon Cathedral, pp. 63, note 15, argue that, "reedificationem" must refer to the rebuilding of the cathedral roof after storm damage mentioned in Leleu, ii, pg. 746.