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Plan of the present church
PLAN of the Church
(Click on the thumbnail plan
to open a larger one in a new window)

   The church of St. Mary of Étampes is surely one of the most unusual and complex in all of France. As it presently exists, we may see several building campaigns, including :

  • an early 11th century crypt;
  • an early 12th century nave
    (itself of extraordinary design and, for its date, size)
    onto which was added
  • a mid-12th century sculpted portal;
  • a vast, spacious, "Early Gothic" choir and transepts, dating from the third quarter of the 12th century; and, finally,
  • a 13th century west façade, complete with sculpted portal.

The indefatigable 19th c. French architectural historian Eugene Lefèvre-Pontalis dedicated a lengthy and detailed article to the various campaigns at Étampes in the 1909 issue of the
Bulletin Monumental
.
We summarise here his reconstruction of the history of the building, adding our own comments where appropriate.

 


  The three surviving bays of the nave are the oldest above-ground parts
of the building.[1]

The Easternmost bay of the Northern side aisle of the nave, looking East
The easternmost bay of the Northern side aisle of the nave, looking East    

 

View from the West end of the nave, looking East, towards the flat-ended chevet
View from the West end of the nave, looking East, towards the flat-ended chevet

 

The last two Easternmost bays of the South aisle of the nave, looking East
The last two easternmost bays of the South aisle of the nave, looking East
The corbel from the south springing of the groin vault of the westernmost bay of the South side aisle of the nave
 The corbel from the South springing of the groin vault of the westernmost bay of the South side aisle of the nave.

View of the South side aisle, looking West towards the 13th c. facade, with the 13th c. infill within the original 12th c. archs
  View of the South side aisle, looking West towards the 13th c. facade, with the 13th c. infill within the original 12th c. arch.

The double corbel from the North springing of the groin vault of the westernmost bay of the South side aisle of the naves
  The double corbel from the North springing of the groin vault of the westernmost bay of the South side aisle of the nave.
 

There are a few capitals from the original early 12th century nave campaign which have figurative sculpture on them, most notably this one from the third or fourth bay.


Note that a later 12th c. ("gothic", left) compound pier complex has been joined onto the early 12th column.


Beneath a finely carved, complex and well articulated impost block we see a somewhat vague (unfinished?) foliate form together with the carved figure of a standing man, probably a tonsured cleric.
This figure, which seems almost to have been added as an afterthought (note the curious relief field in which it is carved) is indicative of several aspects of the state of figure style representation at Etampes in the early decades of the 12th century:
-- Clearly there is no sophisticated carving tradition present here, we are in the presence of little more than a scratching carving ;
-- And yet the pose and drapery patern are rather complex, suggesting an underlying form language which existed with more sucess in media other than stone sculpture ;
-- The curious feature of the "depression" formed in the torus of the capital by the figure's feet is quite unusual ;

 

Looking at the decorative details of the transept campaign(s), it is difficult to conceive of them datable to much later than the end of the third quarter of the twelfth century.
If this is the case, then we are clearly in the presence of a very extraordinary building indeed, for few others can boast a vision of such bold spaciousness and breathtaking verticality.

 View from the Southeasst corner of the church, looking Northwest
View from the Southeast corner of the church, looking Northwest .

 

 

 

 


View from the Southwest corner of the transepts towards the Northeast.

 

 

 

 

 

View from the Southwest corner of the transepts towards the Northeast
View from the Northeast corner of the transepts towards the Southwest. The entrance to the crypt is in the lower left corner. The last southern bay of the nave/junction with the South transept is visible in the center background.  In the larger. jpg, note the early 12th century capital at the clearstory level on the nave side of the crossing pier.)

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