Bourges Cathedral
Bourges Cathedral
The Cathedral of St Etienne of Bourges, built between the late 12th and late 13th centuries, is one of the great masterpieces of Gothic art and is admired for its proportions and the unity of its design. The tympanum, sculptures and stained-glass windows are particularly striking. Apart from the beauty of the architecture, it attests to the power of Christianity in medieval France.
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
Cathédrale de Bourges
Admirable par ses proportions et l'unité de sa conception, la cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Bourges, construite entre la fin du XIIe et la fin du XIIIe siècle, est l'un des grands chefs-d'œuvre de l'art gothique. Son tympan, ses sculptures et ses vitraux sont particulièrement remarquables. Par-delà sa beauté architecturale, elle témoigne de la puissance du christianisme dans la France médiévale.
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
كاتدرائية بورج
إنّ كارتدرائية القديسة إتيان المُذهلة بأحجامها وبوحدة تصوّرها التي أُشيدت بين أواخر القرن الثاني عشر ونهاية القرن الثالث عشر هي إحدى أبرز وأهمّ روائع الفن القوطيّ، إذ إنّ لوحتها الواقعة فوق جبهة البناء وتماثيلها وزخارف زجاجياتها هي في غاية من الروعة. ناهيك عن جمال هندستها، تدلّ هذه الكاتدرائية على عظمة المسيحية في فرنسا خلال القرون الوسطى.
source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
布尔日大教堂
布尔日·圣·艾蒂安大教堂(the Cathedral of St Etienne of Bourges)建于12世纪末至13世纪末期间，是杰出的哥特式建筑杰作之一，其完美的比例和协调的设计令人称羡。教堂的门楣、雕塑和彩色玻璃窗特别引人注目。除了漂亮的建筑，教堂还表现了中世纪法国基督教的权力。
source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
Кафедральный собор в городе Бурж
Кафедральный собор Сент-Этьенн в Бурже, построенный между концом XII в. и концом XIII в., это один из величайших шедевров готического искусства, восхищающий своими пропорциями и единством дизайна. Особенно поражают его тимпан, скульптуры и витражи. Собор не только выделяется красивой архитектурой, он также свидетельствует о силе христианства в средневековой Франции.
source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
Catedral de Bourges
La construcción de la catedral de Saint-Etienne de Bourges se inició en las postrimerías del siglo XII y acabó a finales del siglo siguiente. Sus proporciones admirables y la unidad de su diseño hacen de ella una de las grandes obras maestras del arte gótico. Son especialmente notables el tímpano, las esculturas y los vitrales. Además de su belleza arquitectónica, esta catedral constituye un vivo testimonio de la fuerza del cristianismo en la Francia medieval.
source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0
ブールジュ大聖堂
source: NFUAJ
Kathedraal van Bourges
De kathedraal van Saint Etienne te Bourges is gebouwd tussen de late 12e en late 13e eeuw. Het is een van de grote meesterwerken van gotische kunst en wordt bewonderd om zijn verhoudingen en de eenheid van het ontwerp. De timpaan (driehoekig bovenstuk), de beeldhouwwerken en glas-in-loodramen zijn bijzonder opvallend. Naast de schoonheid van de gotische architectuur getuigt het gebouw van de kracht van het christendom in het middeleeuwse Frankrijk. De architectonische stijl die de onbekende meester-bouwer uitkoos, is gebaseerd op een ontwerp zonder transept en plastiekeffecten die in die tijd getuigden van grote moderniteit.
Source: unesco.nl
Outstanding Universal Value
Brief synthesis
Bourges, the ancient Roman city of Avaricum, located in the Centre-Val-de-Loire region, was one of the first Christian communities of Gaul. The cathedral, which was dedicated to the first Christian martyr, Saint Etienne, occupies the site of a place of worship since the 3rd century. Built between the late 12th and late 13th centuries, it is one of the great masterpieces of Gothic art, and admired for its proportions and the unity of its design. Its tympanum, sculptures and stained-glass windows are particularly striking. Apart from the beauty of its architecture, it bears witness to the power of Christianity in medieval France.
The plan of the cathedral is simple and harmonious. It is a basilica with five naves and chapels surrounding the choir. Double flying buttresses allow for the absence of tribunes and provide equal luminosity throughout the nave and the side aisles.
The most remarkable characteristics of the cathedral are the perspective of the lateral walls and the unity of the interior space. The sculptures on the north and south doors, on the tympanum of the Door of the Last Judgement (at the centre of the west façade) and others like the sculpted rood screen comprise outstanding examples of Gothic art. The following centuries left their mark on the cathedral: the stained-glass windows hence comprise a true encyclopaedia of this art of the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries.
Criterion (i): Bourges Cathedral is of considerable importance in the development of Gothic architecture and as a symbol of the strength of Christianity in medieval France. However, its principal claim lies in its striking beauty, combining masterly management of space with harmonious proportions and decoration of the highest quality.
Criterion (iv): Although Bourges Cathedral lies outside the mainstream of the French Gothic, represented by St Denis, Paris, Chartres or Amiens, it strongly influenced the architectural values of cathedrals of this style. With the unity of its design, the skilful articulation of its spaces and the treatment of light, it represents an outstanding expression of style applied to this type of edifice.
Integrity
The design of Bourges Cathedral has been respected and has remained unaltered over the centuries. It retains the integrity of its plan and design and all its attributes have been preserved intact. Located in a protected urban environment, the property has experienced no threat.
Authenticity
The shape and materials of the building are as they were when it was completed in the late 13th century, although its maintenance and the evolution of the religion have necessitated the replacement of numerous elements as is the case with all Gothic cathedrals. All the restoration work has respected the original techniques and construction materials.
Protection and management requirements
Property of the State, managed in part by the National Monuments Centre, Bourges Cathedral has been listed as Historic Monument since 1862. As such, it enjoys conservation provisions as defined and directly executed by the Ministry of Culture and Communication.
Legally of the Catholic religion, the cathedral cannot be used for any other worship. The crypt and the terrace of the north tower receive about 30,000 visitors each year.
The buffer zone of the property, adopted in 2013, comprises two regulatory protective measures: on the one hand, the protection of its boundaries through its listing as Historic Monument, and on the other, the safeguarding and enhancement plan approved in 1994, for the outstanding heritage site corresponding to the acquisition of the medieval city. The marsh land located to the north-east of the edifice, the result of industrious work by the clergy to drain and cultivate this vast territory, was listed along with the sites.
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