Rouen, Its History and Monuments: A Guide to Strangers — John Shaqi
Rouen, Its History and Monuments: A Guide to StrangersLicquet, Théodore
History
Rouen, Its History and Monuments: A Guide to Strangers
Licquet, Théodore
Rouen (France) -- Guidebooks
The Cathedral contains likewise several fine specimens of windows of the
time of the _renaissance_. We must remark, especially, those which
represent the life of saint Romain, in the chapel dedicated to that
bishop and those which decorate the chapel of saint Stephen. We
perceive, in the latter, saint Thomas touching the wound of
Jesus-Christ; Christ preaching in the desert; Christ appearing to
Mary-Magdalen; etc.
The edifice is also lighted by three large roses (circular windows); two
at the extremities of the transept and the other above the organ. Of
these three windows the western is by far the finest. In the centre of
it, the Eternal Father is represented as surrounded by a multitude of
angels having each different musical instruments, around it are ten
figures of angels, each holding an instrument of the Passion.
The present organ of the Cathedral is a large sixteen feet one, and is
placed beneath the western circular window. It was made by Lefevre, the
celebrated organ maker in Rouen, in 1760.
The choir is surrounded by fourteen pillars. Before 1430, its upper part
was only lighted by a small number of narrow windows. Since that time,
it has been lighted by the fifteen large windows, which we now see. In
1467, under the cardinal d'Estouteville, the chapter caused stalls to be
made, which are very curiously sculptured.
A stone screen, of a style which harmonized with the rest of the edifice
formerly ornamented the entrance to the choir: In 1777, it was replaced
by the present. This screen, notwithstanding its beauty, is
unfortunately not in a style correspondent with the rest of the church.
The upper gallery is surmounted by a gilt figure of Christ, made of
lead, by Clodion. Between the pillars, we remark two marble altars, each
ornamented with a white marble statue. That to the right is the statue
of the Virgin, a much esteemed sculpture by Lecomte. This altar has
retained the name _autel da væu_ (or the altar of the vow) since 1637,
on account of a grand procession, which took place at that time, to
obtain the cessation of the plague. The procession, in reentering the
church stopped before this altar, on which the civic authorities placed
a silver lamp, weighing forty marks. The statue to the left is that of
saint Cecile, the patroness of musicians. This sculpture is also from
the chisel of Clodion. Both altars are ornamented with handsome
bas-reliefs, the one to the right representing, Jesus-Christ placed in
the tomb; that to the left, Saint Cecile, at the moment of her death.
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