Chartres Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, is a Catholic church in Chartres, France, about 80 km southwest of Paris, and is the seat of the Bishop of Chartres. Mostly constructed between 1194 and 1220, it stands on the site of at least five cathedrals that have occupied the site since the Diocese of Chartres was formed as an episcopal see in the 4th century. It is one of the best-known and most influential examples of High Gothic and Classic Gothic architecture, It stands on Romanesque basements, while its north spire is more recent (1507–1513) and is built in the more ornate Flamboyant style.
In art, a Madonna is a representation of Mary, either alone or with her child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word is from Italian ma donna 'my lady' (archaic). The Madonna and Child type is very prevalent in Christian iconography, divided into many traditional subtypes especially in Eastern Orthodox iconography, often known after the location of a notable icon of the type, such as the Theotokos of Vladimir, Agiosoritissa, Blachernitissa, etc., or descriptive of the depicted posture, as in Hodegetria, Eleusa, etc.
An archivolt is an ornamental moulding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch. It is composed of bands of ornamental mouldings surrounding an arched opening, corresponding to the architrave in the case of a rectangular opening. The word is sometimes used to refer to the under-side or inner curve of the arch itself. Most commonly archivolts are found as a feature of the arches of church portals. The mouldings and sculptures on these archivolts are used to convey a theological story or depict religious figures and ideologies of the church in order to represent the gateway between the holy space of the church and the external world. The presence of archivolts on churches is seen throughout history, although their design, both architecturally and artistically, is heavily influenced by the period they were built in and the churches they were designed for.
The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Amiens, or simply Amiens Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic church. The cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Amiens. It is situated on a slight ridge overlooking the River Somme in Amiens, the administrative capital of the Picardy region of France, some 120 kilometres north of Paris.
Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, in full Église Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, is a Melkite Greek Catholic parish church in Paris, France, and one of the city's oldest religious buildings. Begun in Romanesque style during the 12th century, most of its architecture is Primary Gothic. It is situated in the 5th arrondissement, on the Left Bank of the Seine River, about 500 meters away from the Musée de Cluny and in the proximity of the Maubert-Mutualité Paris Métro station. It shares a city block with the Square René Viviani.
The Church of Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois is a medieval Roman Catholic church in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, directly across from the Louvre Palace. It was named for Saint Germanus of Auxerre, a medieval bishop of Auxerre, who became a papal envoy and met Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, on his journeys. Genevieve is reputed to have converted queen Clotilde and her husband, French king Clovis I to Christianity at the tomb of Saint Germain in Auxerre.
The Church of Saint-Merri or Église Saint-Merry) is a parish church in Paris, located near the Centre Pompidou along the rue Saint Martin, in the 4th arrondissement on the Rive Droite. It is dedicated to the 8th century abbot of Autun Abbey, Saint Mederic, who came to Paris on pilgrimage and later died there in the year 700. In 884 Mederic was declared patron saint of the Right Bank.
Notre-Dame la Grande is a Roman Catholic church in Poitiers, France. Having a double status, collegial and parochial, it forms part of the Catholic diocese of Poitiers. The west front adorned with statuary is recognised as a masterpiece of Romanesque religious art. The walls inside the church are painted.
Located at 6, rue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, The Basilica of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires is one of ten minor basilicas located in the Île-de-France region of France. It was begun as an Abbey church, and constructed between 1629 and 1740 in the French classical style. Its name was given by King Louis XIII, who dedicated it to his victory over the Protestants at La Rochelle in 1628 during the French Wars of Religion. Notre-Dame-des-Victoires is famous for the ex voto offerings left there by the faithful. Over 37,000 devotional plaques, silver and gold hearts, as well as military decorations, have been left at the basilica. The closest Métro station is 'Bourse'.
The Virgin of Jeanne d'Evreux, is a Gothic sculpture created sometime between the years 1324 and 1339. This figure stands at 68 cm tall and is made from gilded silver, stones, pearls, and the earliest dated French translucent enamels. The piece itself was donated to the abbey of Saint-Denis by Jeanne d'Evreux in 1339 as inscribed in the pedestal. Currently, this sculpture is on display within the Louvre in France.
The Church of Notre-Dame of Dijon is a Roman Catholic church in Dijon. Considered a masterpiece of 13th-century Gothic architecture, it is situated at the heart of the preserved old centre of the city. It is located in Place Notre-Dame, near the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy and opposite the rue Musette.
The Basilica of Our Lady of l'Épine, also known as Notre-Dame de l'Épine, is a Roman Catholic basilica in the small village of L'Épine, Marne, near Châlons-en-Champagne and Verdun. It is a major masterpiece in the Flamboyant Gothic style.
Roland Doré was a 17th-century sculptor and his workshop or "atelier" produced many sculptures for the enclos paroissiaux or "parish church enclosure or closes" of Brittany. In particular his work can be seen on calvaries and in the church's south porch. He was born in 1616 and died in 1660. Little detail of his life is known but it is recorded that he practised as an architect in Landerneau, as well as running his workshop, and was recorded as calling himself the "Sculpteur du Roi". His works, all of an ecclesiastical nature, are mainly located in Léon and the north of Cornouaille. They can be taken as works by Doré's workshop rather than just by Doré himself. Brittany is particularly rich in calvaries, some of a very elaborate nature. In most cases the calvary involves both the crucifixion cross and side crosses or gibbets bearing the good and the bad robbers. Below this, on the crosspieces, were statues of those present at the crucifixion. A feature of Breton calvaries is that most of the statues were carved as a pair and effectively back to back. Doré's output was prodigious and he worked on nine monuments in Saint-Thégonnec, five in Logonna-Daoulas and four in the parish of Plougastel-Daoulas. He also received four commissions to work in Hanvec, three in Guiclan, Irvillac and Lampaul-Guimiliau and two commissions in Cléden-Cap-Sizun, Hôpital-Camfrout, Landerneau, La Martyre, Plabennec, Pleyben, Plogonnec, Saint-Nic, Saint-Servais and Saint-Urbain.
The Bodilis Parish close of Bodilis is located in the arrondissement of Morlaix in Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Apart from the parish church, the Église Notre-Dame, the enclosure at Bodilis includes a perimeter wall with three entrance gates and a simple crucifixion cross. The ossuary was destroyed in 1825. The church is a listed historical monument since 1910. The choir and central nave date to 1567 and the bell tower was added in 1570. The porch was added in 1601 and the sacristy in 1682. From the beginning of the 16th century, Bodilis' burgeoning linen industry boosted the town's wealth. An important fair was staged there and there were frequent pilgrimages to the town to secure "pardons" from the Virgin Mary. Much of the wealth generated was channeled into enhancing the parish church and, as a result, it shows elements of Gothic, Renaissance, Classical and Baroque styles. The bell tower porch is of the late Gothic style and is forty metres high. The church also has a 1564 chevet built in the Beaumanoir style.
Trémaouézan Parish close is located at Trémaouézan in the arrondissement of Brest in Brittany in north-western France. The enclosure includes the Notre-Dame church, ossuary, and calvary. The church was built in the 15th Century and much enlarged in 1597 when the chapel was added. The Renaissance porch, located on the south side of the church, was added in 1610 with statues of the apostles. The calvary separates the church from the ossuary. Inside the church are a notable baptismal font and a number of wood carvings dating to the 17th century. The bell tower is of the "léonard" style. It was hit by lightning in 1702 but restored in 1714. There is a note in the church archives dated 1713, recording that many women sold their rings to help fund the reconstruction. It is a listed historical monument.
The Pencran Parish close is located at Pencran in the arrondissement of Brest in Brittany in north-western France. The Notre-Dame church, the sacristy, the two calvaries, the ossuary and the surrounding wall are a listed historical monument since 1990. Records show that there has been a religious building in Pencran since the 14th century, and in 1353 there was mention of a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Until the French Revolution the parish of Ploudiry covered an area from Loc-Eguiner to Pencran, but it was in 1801 that Pencran became an independent parish.
The Brasparts Parish close is located at Brasparts within Brittany's Châteaulin arrondissement in north-western France. The church is named the Église paroissial Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Tugen. Building started in 1551, a date which appears over the church's west door. The church is often called the "Église de Brasparts"' and is a listed historical monument since 1914. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Tugen, the Breton saint, and is for the most part built in the Gothic style. It has a double galleried "léonard" style bell-tower with a conical side tower which contains a stairway to access the bells. The porch has statues of the twelve apostles. The north window of the choir dates to 1543. Two niches in the choir area depict the parish's two saints and protectors, the Virgin Mary and Saint Tujan or Tugan.
The Basilique Notre Dame du Bon Secours, Marie Auxiliatrice is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Bonsecours near Rouen, Seine—Maritime, France. It is the first church in France to be built in the Gothic Revival style. The basilica is highly ornately decorated with windows, sculptures and other elements often carrying the name or coat of arms of a patronal donor.
The Beautiful Madonna from Toruń - a Gothic sculpture depicting Mary and Infant Jesus. One of the most valuable, in terms of artistic value, images of the Madonna and Child made at the turn of the 14th and 15th century. In terms of typology and stylistics, this work is pars pro toto of the Beautiful Madonna, an iconographic type shaped before 1400. The sculpted images of Beautiful Madonnas represent the Beautiful style, a stylistic trend shaped during the Gothic period in Central Europe.
Notre-Dame-de-la-Compassion is a Roman Catholic Church located on Place du Général Koenig in the 17th arrondissement in Paris. It was originally built in 1842–43 as a memorial chapel to Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans, the heir to King Louis-Philippe of France, who was killed in a road accident in 1842. It was built in the Neo-Byzantine style, with elements of Gothic, Baroque and other styles, and was originally called the Chapelle Royale Saint-Ferdinand. In 1970 it was moved stone by stone from its original location a short distance away to make space for the new Palais des Congrès. It became a parish church in 1993. Its notable decoration includes stained glass windows designed by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, and sculpture by Henri de Triqueti. It was designated a French historic monument in 1929.
