Cathédrale Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais de Soissons

Soissons

The cathedral of Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais in Soissons succeeded a Carolingian building consecrated in 815 by Bishop Rothade and damaged by fire in 948 during the troubles that set Hugh the Great against the town. Construction of the present building began in 1176 under the episcopate of Nivelon de Quierzy: the south transept arm, completed at the end of the 12th century, is an early example of Early Gothic; the choir, built between 1197 and 1212, broke new ground with the famous "Soissons" piers, which would influence Rayonnant Gothic in France and across Europe. The nave followed from 1212 to 1230, before the last quarter of the 13th century saw the north transept arm rise. After the Fourth Crusade, Nivelon de Quierzy brought back prestigious relics from Constantinople that partly financed the works. The Burgundian siege of 1414 prevented completion of the north tower, leaving the building permanently asymmetrical. The cathedral then suffered the Huguenot sack of 1567-1568, the Revolutionary closures of 1793 and 1796, and a powder-magazine explosion in 1815; Émile Brunet's restorations were completed in 1937. Listed as a monument historique as early as 1840, it lost its west rose window in Storm Egon on 12-13 January 2017.

Getting there : Place Fernand-Marquigny, in the centre of Soissons (Aisne); free admission during opening hours, the parish of Saint-Sixte having been entrusted to the Communauté Saint-Martin since 2011

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound