Visiting Notre-Dame de Laon
In Laon, located in the Aisne department, you will find a Gothic cathedral perched atop a hill. Built during the same era as Notre-Dame de Paris, it has held the status of a protected historical monument since 1840.
History
Saint Remi established the diocese of Laon in the 6th century. At that time, a religious structure stood on the Laon hilltop, though nothing remains of it today. In the 8th century, Bishop Gerfid oversaw the reconstruction of the site, and the cathedral was consecrated in the year 800 in the presence of Charlemagne.
Under the authority of Elinand, the successor bishop, the church was rebuilt once more and inaugurated during the second coronation of Philip I in 1071.
Construction of the current cathedral began in 1155. Various expansion and renovation phases continued until 1250. In the 14th century, further work was undertaken, including the addition of 27 chapels and the creation of two doorways in the south facade.
In 1793, revolutionaries destroyed the spire of the southwest tower, the belfry situated between the two western towers, and a portion of the portal sculptures.
Later, in 1870, a gunpowder magazine explosion shattered the stained glass windows. Efforts were made to reconstruct them, but none of the chapel glass could be salvaged. Restoration work continued until 1914.
Notre-Dame de Laon Cathedral
Victor Hugo himself wrote that everything in Laon is beautiful, and it is hard to disagree. You only need to climb one of the cathedral towers, which is open to the public, to get an unobstructed view of the medieval city.
This church stands as one of the most remarkable examples of early Gothic architecture. Its scale and intricate details make it an impressive site to explore.
After you have examined the stained glass and colonnades, try to spot the oxen hidden among the statues. Legend has it that a cart carrying construction materials was unable to make it up the hill, until a white ox descended from the sky to pull the load to the summit.
A significant cathedral in a magnificent city
The majestic Notre-Dame de Laon Cathedral, perched on a plateau that dominates the plains from 330 feet up, does not go unnoticed! The 5 towers of Notre-Dame, a unique feature for a French cathedral that you only see in Tournai in Belgium, are visible from 25 miles away in clear weather.
Built in 1155 under the auspices of bishops Barthelemy de Jur and his successor Gauthier de Mortagne, it follows the Abbey of Saint-Denis and predates the construction of Notre-Dame de Paris by 10 years. It is part of the collection of the first Gothic cathedrals built in the world, much like its neighbors in Noyon, Soissons, Senlis, and the collegiate church of Mantes-la-Jolie.
The hallmark of early Gothic? Tribunes, which are galleries located inside the cathedral on the upper level, offering a bird's eye view of the nave and the choir. This is the only Gothic tribune that is secured and accessible to the general public all year round! And if you are drawn to the heights, the guided tour continues to one of the 5 very openwork towers, near the gargoyles and stone monsters, for a breathtaking panoramic view of the cathedral, the city of Laon, and the wooded horizons of the Chemin des Dames and the Forest of Saint-Gobain. In clear weather, the immense Basilica of Saint-Quentin is visible 30 miles away with binoculars.
But do not forget to visit the ground levels of the cathedral on your own, with a guide, or with an audio guide rented from the Tourist Office, because it still holds many surprises. Its lantern tower, a dizzying tower in the center of the cathedral that forms a true well of light, its choir as large as the nave that once welcomed the most important chapter of canons in France (84 of them!), and its flat chevet, which is very rare in France, with a rose window and exceptional 13th-century stained glass that survived all the wars. To finish, the adorable small cloister and the many interior chapels give this still-unspoiled cathedral a sense of intimacy and serenity. One of these chapels houses a precious 12th-century icon of the Holy Face of Christ, haunting in its realism and said to have restored sight to blind people who came to pray at its feet.
Two hours from Paris and Brussels, 1 hour from Lille, 45 minutes by car from Reims, and 1 hour and 30 minutes by train from Paris, the cathedral of Laon awaits your visit. If Notre-Dame de Paris is wounded for now but still standing, Notre-Dame de Laon offers us the consolation of hoping to see it one day, more beautiful and eternal.
Self-guided tours every day from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM.
Guided or audio-guided tours through the Pays de Laon Tourist Office.