Saint-Leu-d'Esserent, Saint-Nicolas
construction history in phases
S-LEU-E

Building Data for Saint-Leu-d'Esserent, Saint-Nicolas

  •  
  • Type: Abbey
  • Affiliation: Cluniac
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  • Region: Picardie
  • Department: Oise
  • Coords: 49.218, 2.4219
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  • Surveyed: 1969, 1977, 1980-83, 2003, 2005, 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.
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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.

Timeline and building units for Saint-Leu-d'Esserent, Saint-Nicolas 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 47
1090		 gray 160
1110		 gray 180
1140		 50
1150		 150
1160		 180
1170		 520
1180		 260
1190		 380
1200		 343
1210		 40
1220		 60
1230		 gray
1050 1090s 1110s 1140s 1150s 1160s 1170s 1180s 1190s 1200s 1210s 1220s 1230s 1250

Phases for Saint-Leu-d'Esserent, Saint-Nicolas 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

1090

Phase 1 - 1090 [1092] - nave (a) - 47 Units


Abbey had been founded in 1085, all that remains is the west wall, possibly west door, with two capitals
1110

Phase 2 - 1110 [1112] - narthex (a) - 80 Units


Narthex entry, totally restored
1110

Phase 3 - 1110 [1115] - narthex (g) - 80 Units


Narthex to top of internal buttresses above vaults; R profile in doubleau, boss.
1140

Phase 4 - 1140 [1144] - choir (b) - 180 Units


Choir foundations to bases of eastern towers with apse sills like St-Denis and thin buttresses angled to centre, possibly for flyers; plans for buttresses altered near floor level suggesting a significant delay and with a joint at chapel drips; the original single-light windows to the chapels are also like those at Saint Denis. The capitals suggest a date after Saint Denis and before Senlis, some time in the mid-1140s.
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1150

Phase 5 - 1150 - e tower base, w spire - 50 Units


Eastern tower bases to vaults, in which the bases indicate that the EN1 and ES1 piers that support the eastern towers were erected after the walls of the chapels, and from such poor stone that the majority of their capitals have had to be replaced; bases have square rib plinths that were designed to support aa,f,r,f,d, and as work progressed the north tower remained a few courses more advanced than the south
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1160

Phase 6 - 1160 [1167] - east walls - 50 Units


Walls of choir and towers with capitals and aisle vaults, but no work to ambulatory drum piers as this is where the earlier apse may have been.
1160

Phase 7 - 1160 [1165] - choir (g) - 50 Units


Choir gallery and arcade arches were supported on the old church because the capitals on the gallery jambs are earlier in manner to the ambulatory drums underneath, as in st Remi and Noyon; and as chapel and ambulatory vaults were built together, both would have been built at this time.
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1160

Phase 8 - 1160 - nave W1 - 50 Units


Bases to W1 pier and wall with rib plinths set at 45 and support a shaft arrangement of aa,f,45,f,d.
1170

Phase 9 - 1170 - nave 2-3 - 60 Units


Nave 2-3 drum, pier and wall have rib bases at 45 and support aa,f,45,d.
1170

Phase 10 - 1170 - choir (g) 1 - 60 Units


Erection of the jambs to the choir gallery that rest on the walls of the existing apse
1170

Phase 11 - 1170 - e towers I - 60 Units


Eastern towers 1
1180

Phase 12 - 1180 [1182] - choir (a) - 130 Units


Ambulatory drums inserted under earlier gallery, dated to late 80s, so we presume demolition of older apse that had been supporting the vaults and the gallery
1180

Phase 13 - 1180 [1184] - choir (g) 2 - 130 Units


Choir gallery wall and axial chapel, vaulted in 4 campaigns around these walls and the chapel from details in the little triforium windows
1180

Phase 14 - 1180 [1185] - crossing (t) - 130 Units


Crossing triforium, and the lower flyer bonded with wall
1180

Phase 15 - 1180 [1186] - choir (c) - 130 Units


Choir clerestory capitals and start of windows; the single openings in choir triforium external wall after lower flyers and in bays 2-3 clerestory the joint just below caps,
1190

Phase 16 - 1190 - choir (v) - 130 Units


Crossing and choir vaults.
1190

Phase 17 - 1190 - choir (t) - 130 Units


Double openings in middle 3 bays in external choir triforium wall.
1200

Phase 18 - 1200 [1202] - nave (a) - 190 Units


Nave capitals 4-8 piers and wall as pilier-cantonne.
1200

Phase 19 - 1200 [1205] - nave (t) - 190 Units


Triple openings in triforium external wall, and on south joint at clerestory walkway between profile and drip.
1210

Phase 20 - 1210 - nave (c) - 190 Units


Nave clerestory 5-9 with start of windows; there is a joint under clerestory sills, which may be why clerestory sills are 4 courses lower than in east, level with impost.
1210

Phase 21 - 1210 - nave (v) - 113 Units


Nave vaults 5-9 constructed sloly with western vault around 1230; eastern towers first level.
1210

Phase 22 - 1210 - e towers II - 40 Units


E towers II
1220

Phase 23 - 1220 - e towers III - 40 Units


E towers III
1230

Phase 24 - 1230 - e spires - 60 Units


Spire to eastern towers