ARCHITECT, French
(active after 1434 in Pays de la Loire)

Interior view

after 1434
Photo
Cathedral of Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul, Nantes (Loire-Atlantique)

French Late Gothic in the mid-15th century was greatly influenced by the construction of large town churches, which were made necessary by the steady growth in the population. The days of the great cathedrals and abbeys, however, was not over yet. There was now further building work at many of them, including those of Troyes, Châlons, Auxerre, Meaux, Toul, Tours, Orlénas, Rodez, and Metz. Others, although complete were remodeled or extended. Examples include those at Amiens, Senlis, Sens, Évreux, and Rouen.

In Nantes, however, the gigantic cathedral was totally redesigned and half complete as late as the Late Gothic period. In 1434 the duke and the bishop together laid the foundation stone of a new cathedral Building began with the twin-towered west front, which was completed along with the nave in 1498. But then work came to a halt. The cathedral was completed in the 17th century and in the 19th century when the Gothic Revival was at its height.




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