Châlons-en-Champagne, Notre-Dame-en-Vaux
CHALON-V

Building Data for Châlons-en-Champagne, Notre-Dame-en-Vaux

  •  
  • Type: Collegiate
  • Affiliation: Benedictine
  •  
  • Region: Champagne-Ardenne
  • Department: Marne
  • Coords: 48.957, 4.3635
  •  
  • Surveyed: 1969, 1972-74, 1977, 1980-83, 1992-98, 2003, 2015

Map

Virtual Tour

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.
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.

Timeline and building units for Châlons-en-Champagne, Notre-Dame-en-Vaux A 'building unit' is an arbitrary unit of work based on bulk billing techniques used by quantity surveyors. The unit is small enough to provide realistic figures in the small churches without becoming too huge in the large. Six units would pay for one small vaulted bay in an aisle about 3 metres square, or a small first-floor gallery. Such a bay would consist of an external wall with a small window, half of two columns about 3 meters tall, the floor and footings under them and the vault and roof overhead.
X

A 'building unit' is an arbitrary unit of work based on bulk billing techniques used by quantity surveyors. The unit is small enough to provide realistic figures in the small churches without becoming too huge in the large. Six units would pay for one small vaulted bay in an aisle about 3 metres square, or a small first-floor gallery. Such a bay would consist of an external wall with a small window, half of two columns about 3 meters tall, the floor and footings under them and the vault and roof overhead.

info

gray gray 210
1120		 gray 420
1140		 300
1150		 310
1160		 1120
1170		 300
1180		 200
1190		 100
1200		 70
1210		 gray
1050 1120s 1140s 1150s 1160s 1170s 1180s 1190s 1200s 1210s 1250

Phases for Châlons-en-Champagne, Notre-Dame-en-Vaux The building sequence is based on my on-site analysis of the construction history, using the techniques developed on the cathedral of Chartres called toichology, and described in a number of publications. The analysis of some of the smaller churches are more approximate than I would like, and need further analysis. <p>I have used 'phase' rather than 'campaign' to to identify a contiguous zone with similar elements. A campaign would be defined by recognisable breaks and construction joints in the fabric: there may be a number of phases within a campaign. One benefit is that separate programs by subcontractors, such as carvers, may be isolated, which is particularly useful in complex sections, such as portals. <p>Every phase has been assigned to a decade, so there may be more than one phase in a decade. <p>While this is certainly imperfect, it will allow us to explore all the data, including costs, across time. This is an on-going process, so as the data continues to be analyzed, the chronology and costing analysis will be further refined, and the synopsis updated. <p>Clicking on any of the decade graphics will display all buildings that had work being done during that decade.
X

The building sequence is based on my on-site analysis of the construction history, using the techniques developed on the cathedral of Chartres called toichology, and described in a number of publications. The analysis of some of the smaller churches are more approximate than I would like, and need further analysis.

I have used 'phase' rather than 'campaign' to to identify a contiguous zone with similar elements. A campaign would be defined by recognisable breaks and construction joints in the fabric: there may be a number of phases within a campaign. One benefit is that separate programs by subcontractors, such as carvers, may be isolated, which is particularly useful in complex sections, such as portals.

Every phase has been assigned to a decade, so there may be more than one phase in a decade.

While this is certainly imperfect, it will allow us to explore all the data, including costs, across time. This is an on-going process, so as the data continues to be analyzed, the chronology and costing analysis will be further refined, and the synopsis updated.

Clicking on any of the decade graphics will display all buildings that had work being done during that decade.

Short version of history

Earlier

Phase 1 - Earlier


The nave was shifted to the south of the space between the towers to widen the span, and therefore the existing towers sit on earlier foundations as art of a narrower church; transepts suit that altered axis, and were begun with the nave walls.
1120

Phase 2 - 1120 [1125] - nave walls - 160 Units


Nave and transept aisle walls with capitals on an alternating grid and presumably piers that have been replaced, not designed for ribs, though at least for timber roof over aisles.
1120

Phase 3 - 1120 [1125] - crossing - 50 Units


All crossing piers with the transept chapels that have the same details in the bases and imposts; the coursing of the lower part of the south wall connects, but not above and not at all in the north while the crossing capitals and those at the level of the nave gallery suggest that the church had arches springing at that level for a low-ceilinged building, and that all was raised later.
Load More...
1140

Phase 4 - 1140 [1144] - nave wall (a) - 140 Units


Nave aisles walls, piers alternate above the capitals, not below where all are the same.
1140

Phase 5 - 1140 [1142] - W-w portal - 30 Units


West portal, capitals and sculpture. This work is lower than that in the south porch or the aisles, and seems to have been carved by different crews.
1140

Phase 6 - 1140 [1143] - W-s, porch - 140 Units


South portal capitals; those in the left aisle are from a different crew to those in the right.
1140

Phase 7 - 1140 [1145] - nave piers - 110 Units


Nave piers, capitals are largely replaced, but in what seems a sympathetic manner, if over-florid.
1150

Phase 8 - 1150 [1155] - transept (g) - 140 Units


Transept gallery openings and capitals, and is the latest moment to show they intended to raise the height 25 years after laying the capitals below the gallery string; includes column-figures in the eastern crossing, and corner shafts for a rib vault over the crossing, un bonded coursing shows where work steps down into the transepts
Load More...
1150

Phase 9 - 1150 - towers I - 20 Units


Western and eastern towers level 1; probably, the miracle recorded in 1157 refers to this part of the work, but which part collapsed? It was a dozen years before the choir was rebuilt, and more before work resumed on the nave.
1150

Phase 10 - 1150 - e towers II, III - 140 Units


Eastern towers levels II and III, and with it the south transept wall with the double roses, and in a separate campaign the single oculus in the north, with a long-term joint above these oculi.
1160

Phase 11 - 1160 - w towers II, III - 140 Units


Western towers II and III
1160

Phase 12 - 1160 [1165] - nave (gb) - 30 Units


Complete the nave aisle vaults and build the string at the level of the floor of the gallery with capitals facing into the main hall of the nave; presumably these capitals were intended to support a lower vault or cross arches, an idea that was abandoned when the gallery piers were designed.
Load More...
1160

Phase 13 - 1160 - choir (b) - 140 Units


Choir footings for round chapels; notice that it is being laid out before its &quot;mentor&quot; at St-Remi had reached the level of the gallery, which means that if St-Remi were the inspiration it was hidden under scaffolding, and thus more likely to have been transmitted by the original designer.
Load More...
1170

Phase 14 - 1170 - choir (d) - 140 Units


Choir walls with ambulatory and dado, and fluted shafts externally; the curved wall flattened by arches, though still round at spring.
1170

Phase 15 - 1170 - nave (av) - 140 Units


Nave aisle vaults because the inserted rib capitals in WS1 are those of the nave gallery. Two years then needed after the vaults to get to the gallery capitals.nave aisle rib vaults
1170

Phase 16 - 1170 [1173] - nave (g) - 140 Units


Nave gallery caps and vaults. The range suggests the nave arrangement is some 5 years earlier than the same work in the choir. It is 3 courses shorter than choir.
1170

Phase 17 - 1170 [1174] - nave (t,c) - 140 Units


Nave triforium with linkage for triple windows. Nave coursing connected to transepts.
1170

Phase 18 - 1170 [1176] - choir (a) - 140 Units


Choir piers, arcade arches, bec capitals in chapel, twin-and oculus windows like plate but in courses, and vaults with tas-de-charge.
1170

Phase 19 - 1170 [1177] - choir (g) - 140 Units


Choir gallery string course, and curved walls straightened.
1170

Phase 20 - 1170 [1177] - choir (g+) - 140 Units


Choir gallery capitals and vaults. Lower flyers built with the wall.
1170

Phase 21 - 1170 [1177] - choir (t) - 140 Units


Choir triforium shafts for linkage with twin windows, capitals for both triforium and high vaults.
1180

Phase 22 - 1180 [1178] - choit (c) - 100 Units


Choir clerestory external walkway.
1180

Phase 23 - 1180 - choir (cw) - 100 Units


Choir clerestory window capitals, fluted columns to support flyers, but renovations make it difficult to determine if there had been a walkway or supporting shafts.
1180

Phase 24 - 1180 - choir (rc) - 100 Units


Choir cornice and roof. In 1183 Bishop Guy blessed the church, which could have celebrated the roof.
1190

Phase 25 - 1190 - choir, crossing (v) - 100 Units


Choir vault and crossing
1190

Phase 26 - 1190 - nave 1-4(cv) - 100 Units


Nave vaults 1-4
1200

Phase 27 - 1200 - transept (c) - 100 Units


Transept clerestory and vault, north rose
1210

Phase 28 - 1210 - nave 5-7(v) - 70 Units


Nave vaults 5-7, western rose