Abbey Church of Notre-Dame
Notre-Dame de Mouzon Abbey is the former church of the abbey of Mouzon, in the Ardennes in France. The evolution of this abbey in the Middle Ages is linked to the relics sheltered in this place, in particular those of Saint Victor and Saint Arnoul. Object of an ostentatious cult, these relics became sources of material income. The influx of pilgrims imposed the construction of this building, in the 12th and 13th centuries, which was inspired by the first Gothic-style buildings, but already heralded, by certain technical choices, a second generation. The dimensions are relatively small.
About this building
The nave, surrounded by two side aisles, is open to the visitor's gaze from the entrance, with its three-storey elevation, characteristic of the early Gothic style. The lower level is that of the large pointed arcades. The first floor is made up of tribunes, inherited from the Romanesque style, which open out through double arcades under a tiered relief arch. The second floor is a triforium, a passageway that goes around the building, characteristic of Gothic architecture, still topped by a third floor of large windows. On the outside, the buttresses, a recent technique at the time of construction, contribute to the solidity of the ensemble. Five apse chapels surround the choir and open onto a five-sided cut ambulatory, giving this part of the church a certain breadth.
