The delicate finesse of the cathedral's facade, and the spire which, at 142 metres, was until the 19th century the tallest in the Christian world, stand as a testament to the skills of the superb workmanship on which the reputation of the Oeuvre has been built. The cathedral integrates successive styles: following the Romanesque initial construction, the Pilier des Anges developed into a Gothic style. After the Gothic flamboyance of the spire and the Saint-Laurent gate, Renaissance techniques were adopted. Under the auspices of the Œuvre Notre-Dame, Massol and Blondel designed extensions which complimented the existing building, and Goetz supervised the addition of the lateral aisles, the first works in Neo-Gothic style, at the end of the 18th century.

(43Ko)