Page:History of Architecture in All Countries Vol 1.djvu/545

 Bk. II. Ch. VII. NORMANDY. 513 province. Indeed, like the transitional churches last described, these must be considered as the religious edifices of the inhabitants before tliat invasion ; and if they show any affinity to any other style, it is to Beloium and Gerinany we must look for it rather than anywhere within the boundaries of France. Amongst the oldest-looking buildings of pure Norman architecture is the church of Lery, near Pont de I'Arche. It is the only one, so far as is known, with a simple tunnel-vault, and this is so massive, and rests on piers of such unusual solidity, as to give it an appearance of immense antiquity. There is no good reason, however, for believing that it really is older than the chapel of the Tower of London, which it resembles in most respects, though the latter is of somewhat lighter architecture. Passing froni this we come to a series of at least five important churches, all erected in the latter half of the 11th century. The first of these is the church of Jumieges, the western end of which was jjrincipally erected by Robert, afterwards Bishop of London, and finally Archbishop of Canterbury. Its precise date is not very well known, though it was probably begun before 1050, and certainly shows a far ruder and less complete style of architecture than any of the later churches. It is doubtful whether it was ever intended to throw a vault over the nave ; yet the Avails and piers are far more massive than those of the churches of Caen, or that of Bocherville in its immediate neighborhood. This last we know to have been commenced in the year 1050, and completed in 1066. This church still retains in a wonderful state of completeness all the features .of a Norman church of that age — the only part of it which is of a more modern date being the two Avestern turrets, which are at least a century later. The next of the series is the well-known Abbaye aux Hommes, or St. Stephen's, at Caen (Woodcut No. 378), commenced by William the Conqueror, 1066, in gratitude for his victory at Hastings, and dedicated eleven yeai's afterwards. Then follow the sister church of the Trinite, or Abbaye aux Dames, commenced in 1083, and the parish churcli of St. Nicolas at Caen, begun in the following year. These two last were almost certainly completed within the limits of the 11th century. Of all these the finest is St. Stephen's, which is a first-class church, its extreme length being 364 ft. It was not originally so long, having terminated Avith an apse, as shown in the plan. Fig. 1, which was superseded about a century afterwards by a chevet, as shown in Fig. 2. This, hoAvever, Avas an innovation — all the round Gothic churches, in Normandy having originally been built Avith apses, nor do I know of a single instance of a chevet in the province. This circumstance points rather to Germany than to the neighboring VOL. I. — 33