Rouen Cathedral regains its 16th century gilding
After months of work, the sublime gilding of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Rouen (Seine-Maritime) can be seen by locals and tourists.
The magnificent Rouen Cathedral now shines brighter than the Big Clock. It will certainly be photographed as much as the precious dial.
The curious can go to the square to learn about the meaning of the upper parts of the cathedral choir. On the ridge, a string of seraphim, crosses and vases adorn the building.
In the foreground stands a splendid statue representing Saint George fighting a winged dragon.
The best vantage points to admire this painting are the left bank quays and the Corneille bridge.
These ornaments, made of metal (lead, copper, and bronze) mostly gilded, are also clearly visible from the Place de la Calende (right bank).
These works first saw the light of day in the 16th century. Deployed in 1540 on the roof, they disappeared in 1822 during a fire caused by lightning which destroyed them. The higher commission of historical monuments wished to return these decorations to the identical one. The Giordani company (left bank in Rouen) worked on the gilding, as well as the Coubertin Foundation (Yvelines), on the sculptures. In the statue of St. George, a parchment containing the names of all the craftsmen who are traded on the site has been hidden. The identical reconstruction was possible thanks to engravings of the time.
The site Rouen.fr specifies the meaning of the works: “There is the most visible, which represents Saint George on his prancing horse killing the dragon at his feet. He is surrounded by characters who must be the animal’s victims. By detailing the ridge, we see, arranged like a ribbon, seraphim, vases and crosses representing the arms of the cardinals of Amboise, sponsors of these ornaments as well as the coat of arms of Normandy. ”
This fifth phase of the work on the cathedral choir needs 12 months of construction. It cost 825,000 euros (out of the 4,725,000 euros including tax, financed 100% by the Ministry of Culture and Communication. The next installment will concern the restoration of the vaults of the choir (1.1 million euros).