Soissons, Saints-Gervais-et-Protais
SOISSONS

Building Data for Soissons, Saints-Gervais-et-Protais

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  • Type: Cathedral
  • Affiliation:
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  • Region: Picardie
  • Department: Aisne
  • Coords: 49.380, 3.3254
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  • Surveyed: 1969, 1977, 1980-83, 2003, 2009, 2014

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Studies 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.
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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.

Documents for Soissons, Saints-Gervais-et-Protais

1176/1207



Land donated for south transept by Bishop Nivelon de Chérizy

IDUS SEPTEMBRIS...NIVELO...CONCESSIT ET QUANDAM PARTEM CURIAE SUAE, IN QUA SITA EST DEXTRA CRUX ECCLESIAE NOSTRAE, CUM CAPELLA S. MARTINI.

The ides of September, Nivelon...gave and which had been part of the court, in that place is the right arm of our church, with the chapel of Saint-Martin.

Source: "Collection Baluze", xlvi, f.467 in the Bibliotheque National, Paris.

Nivelon became bishop of Soissons in 19 August 1176. Excerpt from the lost obituary of the cathedral, known only through this seventeenth century collection.

1182 or later



Ancoul de Pierrefonds gave 5 marks for starting the apse

Enfin ce mesme nom joint à la qualité de Doyen, se void en deux Chartes des aimées 1180 & 1182.

Finally, this name [Ancoul] is attached to the position of Dean, seen in two donation charters of 1180 and 1182.

Source: Dormay, Histoire de la ville de Soissons, ii, 177.

1182 is the last known date for Ancoul.

1182 



Money for decorating the altar.

...Guillaume...ce mesme nom joint à la qualité de Doyen, se void en deux Chartes des années 1180 & 1182...destina cinq autres marcs pour faire la couronne de l’autel.

...Guillaume...is attached to the position of Dean, seen in two donation charters of 1180 and 1182...left 5 additional marks for making the crown of the altar.

Source: Dormay, 1664, ii, 177.

1182 is the last known date for Dean Guillaume, first mentioned in 1158. The bequest for garnishing the altar suggests that it was in place and prepared for decoration.

1190



A procession was made around the choir.

ET PRETEREA IN ECCLESIA NOSTRA DUO LUMINARIA FACIET ANNUATIM, UNUM IN ASSUMPTIONE BEATE VIRGINIS MARIE IN CIRCUITU PRESBITERII CHORI ET NAVIS CUM FERRIS MAIORIS ALTARIS, ET ALTERUM IN NATIVITATE EJUSDEM VIRGINIS IN CIRCUITU PRESBITERII CHORI ET NAVIS ET SINE FERRIS.

A circuit of two lamps was made annually around the choir and nave, one circuit was made in procession with the cross of the high altar around the presbytery and the choir on the Assumption of the Virgin and another at the Nativity of the Virgin around the choir and the nave and without the cross.

Source: Arch. Nat., L 742, No. 13.

1190



Raoul de Braine gave money for a chaplaincy

EGO HUGO PREPOSITUS ET JOHANNES DECANUS ET TOTUM SUESSIONENSIS ECCLESIE CAPITULUM. NOTUM FACIMUS UNIVERSIS QUOD RADULFUS DE BRANA CON CANONICUS NOSTER IN ECCLESIA NOSTRA CAPELLANIAM INSTITUIT...ACTUM ANNO INCARNATE VERBI MILLESIMO CENTESIMO NONAGESIMO.

Hugo, prior and John, deacon and the entire chapter of the church of Soissons. Let it be known that Radulfus of Braine as a canon of ours institutes a chaplaincy in our church...in the year of the incarnation 1190.

Source: Archives Nationales, Paris, L742, no.13.

A marginal note states this was Saint Jacques, SE(g). In a legal inventory of 1782 by Dom Caffiaux, a Marist Brother at Saint Médard, this charter has been copied exactly, and the writer affirmed it referred to this chapel: Archives de l'Aisne, Laon, G 253-4, pp. 526-527. Lefèvre-Pontalis says Saint-Jacques is on the second level above the chapel of Saint-Martin in the south transept.

1192



Remains of Josselin, who had died in 1152, were taken up from in front of altar

...HUMATIS EST ANTE ALTARE SS APOSTOLORUM PETRI ET PAULI IN NAVI CATHEDRALIS SUESSONENSIS SUB TUMBA, INDETRANSLATUS IN MAUSOLAEUM INTRA ABSIDUM MURI PRESBYTERII ECCLESIAE LONGIPONTIS AD LATUS EPISTOLAE...

...buried under a tomb before the altar of the apostles Saint Peter and Paul in the nave of the cathedral of Soissons, translated to a mausoleum within the walls of the apse of the church of Longpont, on the side of the epistle...

Source: Gallia Christiana, Paris, 1751, ix, col. 359.

His remains were removed to Longpont. The date is given, without proof, by Antonio Muldrac, Compendiosum abbatiae Longipontis Suessionensis chronicon, Paris, 1652, 36. See also Longpont.

1192



Chapel of SS. Peter and Paul founded

...QUOI QU'IL SOIT DIT ICI QUE LE CORPS DE JOSSELIN DE VIERZY, EVECHE DE SOISSONS, REPOSE DANS LA CHAPELLE SAINT PIERRE VIEN N'EMPECHE QU'IL AIT ETE TRANSFERE DEPUIS A LONGPONT. EGO NIVELO...AD SERVITIUM CAPELLANIE BEAT. APOST. PETRI ET PAULI

Nivelon de Cherizy founded the chapel of Saint Pierre and Saint Paul in 1192...but it should be said that the body of Josselin de Vierzy, Bishop of Soissons, placed in the chapel of Saint Pierre it did not prevent him from being transferred to Longpont since. Lord Nivelon...to serve the chapel of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul.

Source: Archives de l'Aisne, Laon, G253-4, 526-527.

According to Cabaret, ii, 297, there was a chapel Saint Paul-et-Pierre at the entry to the choir, but Jean Ancien thinks this was in the jubé demolished ca. 1850.

1193/1208



Chaplaincies founded

RADULFUS III d'Oulchy, GERMANUS AVELINAE de Cramailles, SOBRINUS NIVELONIS EPISCOPI, PRAEPOSITUS ET ARCHIDIACONUS OCCURRIT AB ANNO 1193 AD 1208. FUNDAVIT CAPELLAM SS. ANDREAE, CORNELLI ET CYPRIANI, MULTAQUE VIVENS ET MORIENS DONAVIT CAPITULO.

Radulf III d’Oulchy, son of Avelina de Cramailles, cousin of Bishop Nivelon, became prior and archdeacon from 1193 to 1208. The chapels of Saints Andrew, Cornelius and Cyprian were founded, and numerous donations from the living and the dead were donated to the chapter.

Source: Gallia Christiana, Paris, 1751, ix, col. 385.

1202 or earlier



Canon Hubert de Cugniéres (d. 1202) gave the glass for two roses to the south of the apse

On en fit deux autres au costé droit du choeur, qui furent appellées O. par les gens de ce temps là, et qui furent données par Hubert de Cugnière Chanoine de la mesme Eglise, avant qu'il partist pour aller en syrie où il mourut.

Two others were made on the right side of the choir, which were called "O" by the people of that time, and which were given by Hugues de Cugnière, canon of the same church, before he had left to go to Syria where he died.

Source: Dormay, Histoire de la ville de Soissons, ii, 194.

Dormay cites no source. This probably refers to two oculi at the top of two plate tracery windows.

1207? undated



Guy de Chézy made doyen, and founded chapel of Saint-Jean-Baptiste behind the choir, and gave the glass

Guy Doyen est reconnu pour fondateur de la chapelle de S. Jean Baptiste... Guy de Chesy ou de Ripelonge...on le reconnoist pour fondateur de la chapelle de S. Jean Baptiste, qui est derriere le choeur.

Dean Guy is known as the founder of the chapel of Saint John the Baptist... Guy de Chézy or of Ripelonge...one recalls as founder of the chapel of Saint John the Baptist, which is behind the choir.

Source: Dormay, Histoire de la ville de Soissons, ii, 194 and 289.

Dormay goves no source. Barnes, verbal, states it is AS3(a).

1208-1219, 19 May



Bishop Haymard de Provins, successor to Nivelon, gifted a hundred livres for the stalls

XIII KAL JUNII ...IDEM DEDIT NOBIS C LIBRAS TURONENSIUM DE QUIBUS FACTA SUNT STALLA CHORI NOSTRI,...

He donated to us one hundred pounds from which stalls had been made for our choir.

Source: Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, Collection Balluze, xlvi, 462.

The words FACTA SUNT clearly state that the stalls were already in existence in 1219. Haymard was elected in 1207, consecrated after June 1208, and died 1219.

1212, May 13



Choir occupied

ANNO MILLENO BISCENTENO DUODENO HUNC INTRARE CHORUM CEPIT GREX CANONICORUM TERCIO IDUS MAII.

In the year 1212, III ides of May, the flock yielded the choir and the canons began to enter this place.

Source: Carl Barnes Jr., "The cathedral of Chartres and the architect of Soissons", Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, 1963, xxii, 65.

From a dedicatory plaque now in ES1 chapel, illustrated in Barnes, "Chartres" pg. 65. "Began" may suggest that the building was not finished yet, perhaps under a temporary roof while clerestory was being completed.

1215 or earlier



Obituary for Countess Eleanor de Vermandois

ITEM OBIIT AINORS, COMITISSA SANCTI QUINTINI QUAE DEDIT NOBIS TOTUM MIRRINUM QUOD SUPERPOSITUM EST SUPER CAPUT ECCLESIAE NOSTRAE ET TOTUM MIRRINUM STALLARUM NOSTRARUM ET PER OPTIMAM VITREAM.

Obit Eleanor, Countess of Saint-Quentin who gives to us all the oak located above the head of our church and all of the wood for our stalls and for one much desired window.

Source: Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, Collection Balluze, xlvi, 463.

1223, 11 July or earlier



Obituary of Philippe-Auguste provided funds for window

V IDUS JULII - DEDIT ETIAM NOBIS TRIA PALLIA ET XXX LIBRAS PARISIENSIUM AD FACIENDUM MAIOREM VITREAM IN CAPITE ECCLESIAE NOSTRAE.

He dedicated also to us three pallia and 30 livres parisis to make a great window in the apse of our church.

Source: Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, Collection Balluze, xlvi, 463.