Church of Notre-Dame
Like other monuments and a large part of the city, the church was destroyed during the great fire of the Madeleine in July 1487. It was therefore rebuilt in the 16th century, around 1520, the nave having been extended by a fifth span and according to a tradition that has not been historically verified, and it was the local architect Guillaume Pelvoysin who built the north tower. In the seventeenth century, the side entrance to the south was restored in the style of the time, i.e. with Corinthian columns that give a touch of classics. On 27 May 1562, when the Huguenots entered Bourges, it was again pillaged by the troops of the Count of Montgomery.
About this building
This church does not have a transept, it consists of a nave with 4 bays and it ends with a chevet with a cut-off. After the fire of 1487, the building was enlarged: one more bay to the west; a front tower; ripping of the drip walls to give access to the aisles; side chapels on the south side. The arcades of the nave are surmounted by small, rather high perched windows. This height made it possible to raise the ribbed vault of the aisles, freeing up space for large windows. As a result, the aisles (at least to the south) are very bright.
