Church of Saint-Maclou
| Church of Saint-Maclou | |
|---|---|
Aerial view showing west façade and lantern tower
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| Basic information | |
| Location | 49°26′23″N 1°05′54″E / 49.43972°N 1.09833°ECoordinates: 49°26′23″N 1°05′54″E / 49.43972°N 1.09833°E |
| Affiliation | Catholic Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| State | France |
| Province | Archdiocese of Rouen |
| Region | Upper Normandy |
| Status | Active |
| Website | rouen |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Parish church |
| Architectural style | French Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 1436 |
| Completed | 1521 |
| Official name: Eglise Paroissiale Saint-Maclou | |
| Designated | 1840 |
| Reference no. | IA00021849 |
| Denomination | Église |
The Church of Saint-Maclou is a Roman Catholic church in Rouen, France, which is considered one of the best examples of the Flamboyant style of Gothic architecture in France. Saint-Maclou, along with Rouen Cathedral, the Palais de Justice (also Flamboyant), and the Church of St. Ouen, form a famous ensemble of significant Gothic buildings in Rouen. Its spire reaches a height of 83 meters.
Construction on Saint-Maclou began sometime after 1435; it was to replace an existing Romanesque parish church that had suffered from several years of neglect resulting in a collapsed transept roof. In its place, master mason Pierre Robin created a basilica style church with four radiating chapels around an octagonal choir. The decoration of the church is macabre, beckoning back to the church's grim past rooted in the Black Death pandemic. The transept is non-projecting complete with piers that support the above lantern tower. The choir is rather large in size for the structure and has two bays and four radiating chapels that branch off from the ambulatory. Overall, the plan places its emphasis on the transept which is midway between the choir and the nave. Saint-Maclou has the classic three-story elevation of an arcade, triforium, and clerestory. The famous western facade is towerless with five gabled porches with flying buttresses above the aisles that are attached to the western wall featuring a rose window.
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