NOTRE-DAME COLLEGIATE CHURCH
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The emblematic monument, the proud church of the kings of France, with its remarkable Gothic style.
Former church of the kings of France, it is the emblematic monument of the city. Its construction, within the fortified walls of the royal castle, began around 1150, when the builders began work on the western façade. The carvings on the portals, the three-storey elevation, the roof and the large nave with large stained glass windows are typical of the Gothic style. Chapels were added to the choir until the 14th century, including the Navarrese chapel built in 1313. Thanks to its large rose window, which is one of the oldest in France, and its two towers rising to 54 metres, the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame is one of the great monuments of the royal domain of Ile-de-France. There are similarities with the Abbey of Saint-Denis or the cathedral of Senlis and especially with the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. This resemblance was accentuated by Alphonse Durand, the Manx architect who was commissioned in 1821 to restore the building, which was badly damaged during the Revolution. He rebuilt the north tower following the Parisian model. In 1840, the building was classified as a Historic Monument for its historical as well as artistic interest. Its beauty has attracted many painters such as Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot who has represented it many times (in his works kept at the Museum of Fine Arts in Reims in particular). Fortunately, the 1944 bombings did little damage to the Collegiate Church, with the exception of the stained glass windows. Major renovations are currently underway to continue to preserve it.
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