THE ROSE WINDOW

Paris Notre Dame, south rose window

This extrordinary window has undergone a number of changes during its 700 or so year history. In 1250 Jean died, having started the south transept. His place was taken by Pierre de Montreuil who as a tribute to his dead colleague had the inscription carved which has given us the exact date of 1260. However it was necessary to rebuild it 1726 (work carried out by Boffrand) and again in 1840, at which time Violet le Duc rotated the structure so that the tracery between two petals lay on the vertical axis. The north and west roses both have a petal on the axis. Both transept windows at Notre Dame follow the Rayonnant style that had emerged at St Denis.

After rebuiding the stonework in the 1840s Viollet le Duc arranged for the glasswork to be repaired, cleaned and missing panels replaced by the studio. This operation turned out to be something of a surprise, for the glazier replaced some of the original panels (the angels round the exterior and the Wise Virgins and some f the Apostles) whilst inserting some earlier panels from the twelfth century with the Legend of St Matthew; other foreign thirteenth century panels in the glaziers collection that found their way into the window include nos. 11, 57, 61, 80 and 85.

(source CVMA volume for Notre Dame)