Senlis - Notre-Dame

Early sunday morning. Heavy rain is pouring down. This cathedral was formerly the seat of the Bishopric of Senlis, abolished in 1801, when its territory was passed to the Diocese of Beauvais.

The cathedral was erected between 1153 and 1191. Seen here is the west portal ("Portail de la Vierge"), carved around 1170. The trumeau, depicting the first bishop Saint-Rieul, got lost.

This portal marks not only a dramatic stylistic change, here even the "subject" changed. The portal centers around the "Coronation of the Virgin". Most existing large Romanesque and even early Gothic tympana centered so far around the "Last Judgement". This is one of the earliest (if not the earliest) monumental sculptural representations the Virgin´s Coronation.