“Laon is built on a high mesa from which the view extends over miles of rolling fields…From the tower of the cathedral at the highest point of the town the carved stone heads of cows, instead of gargoyles, gaze in bovine serenity over the landscape” From The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman
The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon sits atop the city of Laon and is considered an important example of early French Gothic cathedrals. Construction began ~1160 and similar to the contemporary Noyon Cathedral, the Laon Cathedral is considered to have a transitional design that lacks some the ornateness characteristic of later Gothic cathedrals.
Exterior
The Laon Cathedral has a typical cruciform shape but is unusual in that there is no apse - instead the extended choir ends in a flat wall. There are five towers, two at the west front, one at the end of each transept, and a small lantern tower over the central crossing. I found it difficult to get a sense of the exterior due to the presence of adjacent building on all sides except the west end. Consequently, I include an image from the web that might help orient you to the various exterior structures. It certainly helped orient me!
Perhaps the most notable feature on the exterior of the Laon Cathedral are the life-sized statues of sixteen bullocks (oxen) that decorate the twin towers at the western end. The origin of the oxen has become the subject of lore, centering on the early construction of the Cathedral. In one telling, a team of oxen hauling stone up the plateau collapsed under the strain of the load. Suddenly, a huge white ox mysteriously appeared to assist the fallen team, only to disappear once the load had been delivered. A bit less romantic but meaningful is that the bullocks are an homage to the many beasts of burden that transported material during construction of the Cathedral.
The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon sits atop the city of Laon, which itself is located on a plateau that rises above the surrounding agricultural fields. The photo is from the web - obviously :) (https://www.hautsdefrancetourism.com/things-to-do/a-history-that-defines-us/unrivalled-gothic-heritage-7-stunning-gothic-cathedrals-and-basilica/)
The west facade of the Laon Cathedral, with three portals and twin towers. Though the three red portals are reminiscent of Amiens Cathedral, neither the sculpture on the typmanums nor the design of the towers is as detailed/intricate. The towers are, however, notable for the 16 life-size sculptures of bullocks
Another attempt at showing the oxen. To really appreciate the variety of the sculptures and their realism, visit https://ascholarlyskater.com/2018/05/01/oxen-laon-cathedral/
Sculpture on the west facade - I'm not sure the significance of these four gentlemen, but the one on the left has quite a mischievous grin - what do you think he's pointing at?
Suzanne GibsonInteresting - all of them are pointing to what they are holding in their other hand, probably an attribute telling who the saints are. It looks like part of the finger on the one on the left has broken off. The closer you look, the more interesting it gets. I have no idea what the iconography might be. Reply to this comment 2 years ago
Looking west, with a view of the two transept towers and the lantern tower, which is the smaller, square tower that lies above the center of the transept. Also partially visible is the rose window on the flat east facade
My first impression on entering Laon Cathedral was how light, spacious and open it was. On thst sunny day, the interior was washed in light that reflected off the white stone. The entryway was quiet and uncluttered by the usual assortment of votive candles, racks of information packets, and throngs of tourists. Yet despite the large expanse, I felt a sense of warmth and comfort.
An unusual feature of the Laon Cathedral is the absence of an apse. The original apse was demolished in the 13th century and was replaced with an extended choir that ends in a flat wall. Also notable is that much of the stained-glass is original, with beautiful Rose windows dating from the 13th century.
The interior of the Laon Cathedral, looking east to to the choir and east end. To me, the spaciousness of the interior, due both to light and the white stone, was one of the remarkable features of the Cathedral. It may be paradoxical, but I found the spaciousness to be quite comforting.
The Rose window in the North transept sits over four lancet windows. Interestingly, rather than a focus on religion, the north Rose window celebrates the sciences of what was once known as the the trivium (grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric) and the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy). Clockwise from the top are: Rhetoric, Grammar, Dialectic, Astronomy, Arithmetic, Medicine, Geometry, and Music, with Philosophy in the center. https://www.therosewindow.com/pilot/Laon/Nrose.htm
I've included some interior artwork that caught my eye, with little supporting information. I was also enthralled with the vaults and ceiling, their height as well as the geometric patterns of stone and light.
The intersection on the transepts with the nave and choir. The sexpartite square vault is at the center of the intersection, above which is the short lantern tower.
