Gothic Cathedrals: Destruction, Viollet-le-Duc Restorations, Legacy

The history of Gothic cathedrals, primarily constructed in the 12th and 13th centuries, is a narrative of both destruction and restoration, influenced by human actions and natural forces.

Destruction and Damage

French Revolution (1789)

The French Revolution marked a significant period of human-induced destruction for cathedrals due to their association with the monarchy and the Ancien Régime. - Saint-Denis: The traditional burial place of French monarchs, its burial vaults were ransacked in 1793. Statues on the west facade were removed, some sold. - Notre Dame (Paris): The gallery of kings above the main entrances on the west facade was removed by revolutionaries. Further damage occurred during the July Revolution of 1830, when the sacristy and archbishop's house were ransacked. - Sainte-Chapelle: Used as a grain storehouse and then a judicial archive, it suffered neglect for half a century. - Chartres: Renamed a "Temple of Reason," its famous Black Virgin statue was destroyed. Some statuary on the north and south portals was damaged, and lead from the roof, along with the centerpiece of the labyrinth, was melted down for cannons or ammunition. - Noyon: Statuary on the west facade was attacked, with hammer marks still visible on the bare tympanum and archivolts.

Lack of Maintenance

After 1789, a lack of maintenance, particularly for roofs, led to water damage and the rotting of delicate timber spires. For instance, Notre Dame's spire deteriorated in the mid-1800s and was subsequently taken down by 1857.

Natural Disasters

Cathedrals have also been harmed by natural events: - Saint-Denis: The northwestern tower was so weakened by a tornado in 1846 that it had to be disassembled stone by stone. In 2016, a project was announced to rebuild this tower using the original stones. - Fires: A constant threat, fires necessitated rebuilding Chartres in 1137 and 1194. A fire in 1836 also required replacing part of the wooden "forest" below Chartres' roof.

Modern Warfare

In the 20th century, cathedrals, many located in northern France and associated with the Gothic style often linked to Germany, suffered significant damage during the World Wars. - Reims: On September 19, 1914, German shells hit Reims Cathedral, destroying upper vaults and igniting the roof. - Noyon: Also bombed in World War I. - Cologne: Damaged by Allied bombings in 1944, though it fared better than Reims or Noyon. Reconstruction for Reims and Noyon took approximately two decades.

The Era of Restoration

The mid-19th century marked a great period of cathedral restoration, largely spearheaded by Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879). Despite no formal architectural training, his connections, particularly to Prosper Mérimée (in charge of public monuments), secured him significant commissions.

Viollet-le-Duc's Major Restoration Projects

• Abbey of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Vézelay: At 22, he was commissioned to restore this abbey, successfully bringing it back from ruin.
• Abbey of Saint-Denis: Rescued it after a failed repair attempt following the 1846 tornado.
• Basilica of Saint-Sernin in Toulouse.
• Mont Saint-Michel: Restored the island fortress, which was used as a prison in the 19th century.
• Carcassonne: Restored the walled city, making it an archetype of medieval walled cities and influencing the architecture of Yale's old campus buildings.
• Château de Pierrefonds: Rebuilt this late medieval castle for Empress Eugénie and Napoleon III.
• Sainte-Chapelle (Paris): Worked with Jean-Baptiste Lassus on its restoration.
• Notre Dame de Paris: His most massive restoration project, undertaken between 1843 and 1863.

Viollet-le-Duc's Philosophy of Restoration

Viollet-le-Duc defined restoration as "to reestablish it in a finished state which may in fact never have actually existed at any given time." This approach often drew criticism for being more akin to renovation than strict restoration, as he aimed to restore buildings to an idealized, complete state.

Notre Dame Restoration Details

• Flying Buttresses: Rebuilt to reflect their original design.
• Windows: Returned some clerestory windows to their original design, which featured smaller lancets below a spoked ocular opening, contrasting with later medieval renovations that introduced longer lancet windows for more light.
• Documentation: His work was informed by pre-restoration drawings, early photographs, and archaeological interpretation of stone marks and scaffolding holes. A large plaster model of Notre Dame, made before his work began, is now in Paris's Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine.
• Statuary: Restored statuary on the south portal and facade, recreating much of the original sculptural design using pre-Revolution drawings. This included the scene of the rising of the dead on the central tympanum of the west facade.
• Roof and Gutters: Repaired to ensure proper water drainage.
• Spire: Rebuilt and reinstalled the spire, which had been removed.
• Stained Glass: Repaired.
• Interior: Removed neoclassical marble panels that covered original Gothic piers and pillars, and developed polychrome patterns to restore the painted interiors common in medieval cathedrals.

Controversial Aspects of Viollet-le-Duc's Work

• Gargoyles: Some of the gargoyles he added to Notre Dame are criticized for reflecting 19th-century concerns more than medieval ones. These include a virtual bestiary of creatures, some possibly inspired by Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, such as the "pensive demon" or "Stryge."
• Anti-Semitism: Scholars note that some figures, like the "pensive demon" with its hooked nose and horns, might reflect 19th-century anti-Semitism. Another figure, "Ahasuerus," on a balcony, wears a hat ascribed to the Wandering Jew in medieval manuscripts.
• Personal Mark: Viollet-le-Duc was not shy about leaving his personal mark. A larger-than-life statue of him stands on Notre Dame's roof among Old Testament figures and an evangelist, holding a medieval master mason's measuring rod inscribed with "E. Viollet-le-Duc Architect Built." He also depicted himself as Adam on the trumeau of the north portal of the west facade.

The Importance of 19th-Century Restorers

While criticized for their liberties, figures like Viollet-le-Duc and Jean-Baptiste Lassus (who also placed a statue of himself on Sainte-Chapelle's roof) were crucial. Without their intervention, many Gothic monuments from the 12th and 13th centuries might not have survived to the present day, effectively cutting off access to the "age of cathedrals." Their work was part of a broader revival of the Middle Ages in the 19th century.

Cathedrals Today

Cathedrals have evolved from religious shrines and testaments of faith to major tourist destinations, attracting millions of visitors annually. They are living organisms requiring continuous maintenance and, at times, major reconstruction. They stand as survivors of a medieval world that remains recognizably connected to our own.