We were on our road warrior mode a while back ,and we passed by Senlis, and needed to stop briefly, to give it my tour of honor, This is a City of many nice monuments and of course more time is needed, I just touch base , and happy to have found these pictures of the cathedral in my cd rom vault to share in my blog for you and me, For reference, the City of Senlis is in the department 60 of the Oise, in the region of Hauts de France of my belle France, Therefore, let me tell you on the Cathédrale Notre Dame of Senlis !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I
The Cathédrale Notre-Dame built in the 12-13C, it is the most important monument in the Middle Ages that the city contains. Of relatively modest size (total exterior length: 76 meters), it is one of the first Gothic monuments in the country. With its Coronation of the Virgin portal, a masterpiece of 12C Gothic sculpture, its remarkable south tower, a masterpiece of 13C Gothic architecture, and its transept facades, both masterpieces of late Gothic, Notre-Dame de Senlis ranks among the most beautiful cathedrals in France.
The façade of Notre-Dame Cathedral is in the early Gothic style. A large central portal is surmounted by a large three-light window designed to illuminate the nave. Above this window is a small sculpted rose window, and at the top, a balcony connecting the two towers and adorned with four statues. On either side of the central portal are the side portals, each surmounted by a tympanum decorated with rather heavy arcades. These two portals, set in the base of the towers, are topped by a large stained-glass window and then another window. The two towers are of very different heights. While the first level of each tower features two large windows with louvers, the north tower is immediately capped by a small slate spire. The south tower, on the other hand, extends further into a superb, slender bell tower with two levels. 
The bell tower of the south tower on the façade is one of the few remaining complete bell towers, dating from the early 13th century. Built all at once around 1240, it rises from the square base of the tower and consists of two stories: the first, resting on the tower, is vertical in structure and houses the bells. The second, the spire, is a tall, slender pyramid. On the ground floor, beneath the tower, is a beautiful doorway leading to the south aisle of the cathedral. This ground floor thus serves as a vestibule for one of the aisles. Above the ground floor, the tower features a square, vaulted story lit on all four sides by twin windows.
The 12C Portal of the Virgin is remarkable for its tympanum, which marks the beginning of the representation of the Coronation of the Virgin in Gothic art. This tympanum depicts Mary, already crowned, seated beside her son Jesus. Several angels surround the two figures. The south side of the cathedral overlooks a square. From this vantage point, the nave appears very short and compressed between the structures of the south tower and the transept façade. The latter is much later than the rest of the building. Constructed between 1520 and 1538, it is one of the masterpieces of the Flamboyant Gothic style in France. The magnificent portal of the south façade is perfectly symmetrical to that of the north façade. It is surrounded by twisted columns, and the influence of the Renaissance is evident. A distinctive feature is its tympanum, which is composed of stained glass.
The nave is very short, much shorter than the choir. It has two side aisles on each side, making it wider than it is long. 28.5 meters wide, but only 23 meters long, it comprises five bays of varying sizes. The elevation has three levels: large arcades, galleries, and clerestory windows. The choir of Notre-Dame Cathedral is a superb little gem of early Gothic architecture (12C). Following the fire of 1504, its vaults were rebuilt and raised shortly afterward. The choir is considerably longer than the nave. It comprises five rectangular bays followed by a deep, seven-sided apse. The apsidal chapels of the cathedral consist of two bays, only one of which has a window. The great organ was moved in 1805 and underwent restoration, completed in 1808. After various repairs and projects, the instrument was rebuilt in 1874. The organ case was constructed in 1647.
A bit of history I like tell us that the Notre-Dame Cathedral was built starting in 1151 on the site of older sanctuaries. The main driving forces behind this undertaking were the frequent presence of kings and the very strong personality of the bishop. By 1160, the central portal of the facade was already completed. By 1167, the cathedral already had its choir and facade, and by 1175, the nave was connected to the choir. Around 1180, the vaulted cathedral was almost finished except for the transepts. It was consecrated on June 16, 1191, by the Archbishop of Reims, Guillaume aux Blanches Mains. The cathedral was significantly altered in the 13C ; around 1240, the south tower was extended with a remarkable two-story spire, a magnificent jewel of the cathedral, and the interior perspective was interrupted by the addition of a transept, which made the nave shorter than the choir. At the end of the 14C, the chapter house was built, and around 1465, the Bailiff’s Chapel was founded by Gilles de Rouvroy, known as de Saint-Simon, bailiff of Senlis and ancestor of the Duke of Saint-Simon, who was buried there in 1477, along with some of his descendants. Construction of the south transept façade began in 1520. Its magnificent portal dates from 1538, while the north portal dates from 1560. The eastern chapels date from the same period. In 1671, the Chapel of the Sacred Heart was built on the site of the old Gallo-Roman wall. In 1777, the choir received a neoclassical decoration, which can still be seen today. The French revolution led to the removal of the furnishings and the destruction of the column-statue heads of the western portal, which were replaced in the mid-19C. In 1986, the interior restoration was completed, and in 1993, the spire was restored.
The City of Senlis on the Notre Dame Cathedral: https://www.ville-senlis.fr/la-cathedrale-notre-dame-de-senlis/
The Museums of Senlis on the Notre Dame Cathedral : https://musees.ville-senlis.fr/cathedrale-de-senlis/
The local Chantilly-Senlis tourist office on the Notre Dame Cathedral: https://www.chantilly-senlis-tourisme.com/patrimoine/cathedrale-notre-dame-de-senlis/
The Oise dept 60 tourist office on Notre Dame Cathedral : https://www.oisetourisme.com/visiter/les-incontournables/la-cathedrale-de-senlis/
The Art and History site of the Hauts de France region tourist office on Notre Dame Cathedral: https://vpah-hauts-de-france.fr/ressources/la-cathedrale-notre-dame-senlis/
There you go folks, this is Senlis ,lots more to see and enjoy this wonderful city of the Oise. There are so many monuments to see here will take a couple visits to see it all, and looking forward to it, eventually, This is a wonderful nice architectural gem that is worth the detour , me think, Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Cathédrale Notre Dame of Senlis !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 