What happened at Beauvais?

In 1284, only twelve years after completion, part of the choir vault collapsed, along with a few flying buttresses. It is now believed that the collapse was caused by resonant vibrations due to high winds.

How long did it take to build the Beauvais Cathedral?

relatively lengthy building period of forty-seven years. Chartres Cathedral (choir, transept and nave), which is much more massive and lavishly decorated than Beauvais, took only some thirty years to construct (1194-1220’s).

Why were medieval churches so tall?

It is intended to satisfy the demands of the climate while also creating a tremendous impression. To begin with, because the church is a congregation area where many people congregate to worship, the ceilings were created to be quite high to accommodate the scale of the same.

Where does the name Beauvais originate from?

French: habitational name from a place so named in Oise, or alternatively from any of numerous minor places throughout France named Beauvoir or Beauvir ‘lovely view’.

What is Beauvais famous for?

Today Beauvais is an administrative centre and emerging university town that benefited from a wave of industrialization in the postwar years, linked to the decentralization of Paris-based firms. Industries include mechanical engineering and the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and parachemical products.

What is the population of Beauvais?

, population estimate from the Insee, and ranks as the most populous city in the Oise department, and the third most-populous city in Picardy. Together with its suburbs and satellite towns, the metropolitan area of Beauvais has a population of 128,020.

What happened to Beauvais during WW2?

Beauvais was extensively damaged during World War I, and again in World War II during the German advance on Paris in June 1940. Much of the older part of the city was all but destroyed, and the cathedral badly damaged before being liberated by British forces on 30 August 1944.

When did the Bishop of Beauvais become a count?

In the ninth century it became a countship, which about 1013 passed to the bishops of Beauvais, who became peers of France from the twelfth century. At the coronations of kings the Bishop of Beauvais wore the royal mantle and went, with the Bishop of Langres, to raise the king from his throne to present him to the people.