Just vaults

According to legend, Canterbury was founded by Rudilibas in 900 BC and called Caerkent by the ancient Britons. From 43 AD, the Roman Durovernum Cantiacorum was built here and developed into an administrative centre. From 200 AD, the city was surrounded by city walls. Æthelberht of Kent, who ruled from 568 AD, made Canterbury his residence. After the Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity, the city became the seat of the archbishop. In 842 and 851, Canterbury suffered great loss of life in Danish raids. In 1011, the city was besieged by a Viking army, culminating in the sack of the city. The people of Canterbury remembered this destruction and offered no resistance to the invasion of William the Conqueror in 1066. In 1363, during the Hundred Years' War, a commission found that the Roman wall had eroded due to dilapidation, stone theft and ditch filling. Between 1378 and 1402, the wall was virtually rebuilt and new wall towers added. In 1448, Canterbury was granted city charter, which gave the city a mayor and high sheriff. In the mid-16th century, many Huguenots, facing persecution fled and resettled. The first Huguenot church in Canterbury was founded around 1548. With the accession of Mary I, the Huguenot inhabitants of Canterbury were forced to flee in 1553, but after the accession of Elizabeth I, a number of Huguenots returned. In the 17th century, French-speaking Huguenots made up two-fifths of Canterbury's population. Canterbury was not only the starting point of the historic Via Francigena, which leads to Rome, but also the destination of many pilgrimages. One of these is described by Geoffrey Chaucer, author of "The Canterbury Tales". The cathedral towers over all the buildings in the city and can be seen from everywhere. In 597, missionaries led by the monk Augustine arrived in Canterbury. Remains of this first cathedral were found under the removed floor slabs during renovation work in 1993, including remains from Roman times. . In 950, the building was renovated by Archbishop Bodo. The church burnt down shortly after the Norman conquest in 1067. Begun under Lanfrank, a confidant of William the Conqueror, it then took several centuries to create what can be seen today: a very complicated and extensive spatial structure with Romanesque, early Gothic and late Gothic sections. The vaults over the first crossing

According to legend, Canterbury was founded by Rudilibas in 900 BC and called Caerkent by the ancient Britons. From 43 AD, the Roman Durovernum Cantiacorum was built here and developed into an administrative centre. From 200 AD, the city was surrounded by city walls. Æthelberht of Kent, who ruled from 568 AD, made Canterbury his residence. After the Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity, the city became the seat of the archbishop. In 842 and 851, Canterbury suffered great loss of life in Danish raids. In 1011, the city was besieged by a Viking army, culminating in the sack of the city. The people of Canterbury remembered this destruction and offered no resistance to the invasion of William the Conqueror in 1066. In 1363, during the Hundred Years' War, a commission found that the Roman wall had eroded due to dilapidation, stone theft and ditch filling. Between 1378 and 1402, the wall was virtually rebuilt and new wall towers added. In 1448, Canterbury was granted city charter, which gave the city a mayor and high sheriff. In the mid-16th century, many Huguenots, facing persecution fled and resettled. The first Huguenot church in Canterbury was founded around 1548. With the accession of Mary I, the Huguenot inhabitants of Canterbury were forced to flee in 1553, but after the accession of Elizabeth I, a number of Huguenots returned. In the 17th century, French-speaking Huguenots made up two-fifths of Canterbury's population. Canterbury was not only the starting point of the historic Via Francigena, which leads to Rome, but also the destination of many pilgrimages. One of these is described by Geoffrey Chaucer, author of "The Canterbury Tales". The cathedral towers over all the buildings in the city and can be seen from everywhere. In 597, missionaries led by the monk Augustine arrived in Canterbury. Remains of this first cathedral were found under the removed floor slabs during renovation work in 1993, including remains from Roman times. . In 950, the building was renovated by Archbishop Bodo. The church burnt down shortly after the Norman conquest in 1067. Begun under Lanfrank, a confidant of William the Conqueror, it then took several centuries to create what can be seen today: a very complicated and extensive spatial structure with Romanesque, early Gothic and late Gothic sections. The vaults above the nave

According to legend, Canterbury was founded by Rudilibas in 900 BC and called Caerkent by the ancient Britons. From 43 AD, the Roman Durovernum Cantiacorum was built here and developed into an administrative centre. From 200 AD, the city was surrounded by city walls. Æthelberht of Kent, who ruled from 568 AD, made Canterbury his residence. After the Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity, the city became the seat of the archbishop. In 842 and 851, Canterbury suffered great loss of life in Danish raids. In 1011, the city was besieged by a Viking army, culminating in the sack of the city. The people of Canterbury remembered this destruction and offered no resistance to the invasion of William the Conqueror in 1066. In 1363, during the Hundred Years' War, a commission found that the Roman wall had eroded due to dilapidation, stone theft and ditch filling. Between 1378 and 1402, the wall was virtually rebuilt and new wall towers added. In 1448, Canterbury was granted city charter, which gave the city a mayor and high sheriff. In the mid-16th century, many Huguenots, facing persecution fled and resettled. The first Huguenot church in Canterbury was founded around 1548. With the accession of Mary I, the Huguenot inhabitants of Canterbury were forced to flee in 1553, but after the accession of Elizabeth I, a number of Huguenots returned. In the 17th century, French-speaking Huguenots made up two-fifths of Canterbury's population. Canterbury was not only the starting point of the historic Via Francigena, which leads to Rome, but also the destination of many pilgrimages. One of these is described by Geoffrey Chaucer, author of "The Canterbury Tales". The cathedral towers over all the buildings in the city and can be seen from everywhere. In 597, missionaries led by the monk Augustine arrived in Canterbury. Remains of this first cathedral were found under the removed floor slabs during renovation work in 1993, including remains from Roman times. . In 950, the building was renovated by Archbishop Bodo. The church burnt down shortly after the Norman conquest in 1067. Begun under Lanfrank, a confidant of William the Conqueror, it then took several centuries to create what can be seen today: a very complicated and extensive spatial structure with Romanesque, early Gothic and late Gothic sections. The choir with the stalls on the left and right

Caen was a settlement already in Roman times, but prospered, when William the Conqueror (aka "William the Bastard") built a castle here. When William married Matilda of Flanders (~ 1051) a papal ban was issued at the Council of Reims on the grounds of consanguinity. In 1059 Pope Nicholas awarded dispensation, after William and Matilda agreed to found to monasteries as penance. William founded the Abbey of Saint-Etienne (aka "Abbaye aux Hommes"), Matilda founded the Abbey Sainte-Trinité (aka "Abbaye aux Dames"). The erection of both abbeys started in Caen around 1060. The "Abbaye aux Hommes" was suppressed during the French Revolution, the Benedictine monks left. The church became a parish church after the revolution. For the first time in France, a ribbed vault was used here about 1120. During the Battle of Normandy in WW2 an intense bombing campaign destroyed much of the city and killed 2000 French civilians. During the battle, many inhabitants sought refuge here, but the cathedral was severely damaged by the bombing. The rebuilding took decades.

Caen was a settlement already in Roman times, but prospered, when William the Conqueror (aka "William the Bastard") built a castle here. When William married Matilda of Flanders (~ 1051) a papal ban was issued at the Council of Reims on the grounds of consanguinity. In 1059 Pope Nicholas awarded dispensation, after William and Matilda agreed to found to monasteries as penance. William founded the Abbey of Saint-Etienne (aka "Abbaye aux Hommes"), Matilda founded the Abbey Sainte-Trinité (aka "Abbaye aux Dames"). The erection of both abbeys started in Caen around 1060. The "Abbaye aux Hommes" was suppressed during the French Revolution, the Benedictine monks left. The church became a parish church after the revolution. For the first time in France, a ribbed vault was used here about 1120.

The abbey Sainte-Trinité was founded around 1056 by Richard Turstin Haldup and his son Eudes au Capel, both Lords of the neighbouring La Haye-du-Puits. Benedictine monks from the Abbey of Bec-Hellouin (aka "Bec Abbey"), about 180kms north, settled here. In 1098 the choir of the abbey church had already been built, as Eudes died that year and got buried inside the choir. The nave was built in the first years of the 12th century. The church got consecrated in 1178, but it was not fully completed at that date. One of the key players of the Hundred Years´ War was Charles II of Navarre (aka "Charles the Bad"), who was not only King of Navarre , but as well Count of Évreux. Charles had large possessions in Northern France. His armee destroyed abbey and church in 1356. The church got rebuilt between 1385 and 1420. The last nine convents left the abbey after the French Revolution, when the convent buildings got sold as "National Property" and the abbey church became the parish. On July 1, 1944, the retreating German army blasted this church, what left nothing but a mountain of rubble. From 1945 on all remaining parts of the puzzle got scrutinized and numbered, before the reconstruction started under the direction of Yves-Marie Froidevaux. The rebuilding of the church was completed in 1958, since then again, it serves the parish. During the reconstruction after WWII, the grave of Eudes au Capel was found under the collapsed crossing tower. Over the tomb was a rib vault - in 1098. This may be the oldest rib vault all over Europe. Older than Durham (1104), Speyer (1110) and Worms (1130).

Saint-Martial is the church of a former abbey, that may be the oldest in the Périgord. Local traditions tell, that the abbey was founded by Saint Cybard (aka "Cybard d'Angoulême") within the 6th century. Documents prove an existence in Carolingian times. Norman raiders devastated the abbey in 849 and in 860, monks returned some decades later and rebuilt. During the heydays of medieval pilgrimage one of the many "chemins" to Santiago run through this valley, so this was a welcomed stop over for the "pelerins". The abbey suffered severely during the Hundred Years War, the nave of the church had to be rebuilt within the second half of the 15th century. The Wars of Religions caused more damage, when the abbey got looted by Protestant troops. The French Revolution finally put the monastic life to an end. Todays church may date to the 12th and 13th century, but many parts were added and rebuilt in later centuries. The long nave is one of the "younger" parts - and of course these elegant vaults.

Between the arches of the central nave are the barrel vaults. The first vaults (1050) were very ambitious - and unsafe. So in 1070 they were replaced by these. Every bay here has it´s own barrel-vault, crosswise to the aisle. This was an architecural breakthrough. Now even windows were possible.

The high arches of the central nave. Between the arches are the barrel vaults. The first vaults, constructed in 1050, were very ambitious - and shaky. So in 1070 this was replaced by a new construction. Now every bay has it´s own vault, crosswise to the aisle. This was an architectural breakthrough.