The vaults thus far discussed have been largely those of England, but some of the types with added ribs, most highly developed in that country were not without Continental examples. In France, for instance, ridge ribs, besides being used in vaults of the domed up Anjou type already described, are also found marking level ridges like those of the standard English vaults. The nave of the abbey church of Souvigny (Allier) (late fifteenth century), the north transept of the cathedral of LeMans (before 1430), and the chapel of the Maison de Jacques Coeur at Bourges (middle of fifteenth century) afford excellent examples of the use of the longitudinal without the transverse ridge rib, while the chapel of the château of Blois, and the cathedral of Tulle (Corrèze), have already been cited as rare instances in which both were employed in vaults with level crowns. That the French builders were even more impressed with the decorative possibilities which these ribs afforded than were those of England is perhaps shown by the fact that, whereas in England this rib has carved decoration[260] only rarely as in the nave of Lichfield cathedral it is carved in no less than three of the French examples cited, the chief among these being Souvigny, in which a deeply cut foliate design decorates both sides of the rib throughout its entire length. In Spain also there is a notable example of the decoration of both a longitudinal and transverse ridge rib in the form of a knotted rope or scourge in the cathedral of Vizeu.[261]
Tiercerons as well as ridge ribs were freely used on the continent though usually not at a very early date. Fine examples are to be seen in France in such churches as those of Brou (Ain) (1506-1536), and Saint Nicolas-du-Port (Meurthe-et-Moselle) (cir. 1505).[262] Both of these are also of interest because their vaults still retain the domed up crown characteristic of French construction, and because of this the builders, to avoid the awkward rise and fall of continuous ridge ribs, have brought these out only far enough to meet the pair of tiercerons in each severy. Many other examples of tierceron vaulting could be cited both in France and elsewhere, but they would add nothing of importance from a structural standpoint.
As for lierne vaults, they, too, appear on the Continent especially in Germany and Spain. The choir of Freiburg cathedral (second half of fifteenth century) [(Fig. 72)], and the church of the Holy Cross at Gmund,[263] show two German types, both of which resemble English vaults which have already been discussed. In Spain, the new cathedral at Salamanca[264] (begun 1513), the cathedral at Segovia (begun 1525),[265] and many other churches might be cited, while in France the church of Mézières (begun 1499),[266] and Switzerland the cathedral of Bern (cir. 1421-1598)[267] show the extent of the style, sometimes with sharply defined domed up bays as in Mézières and sometimes a continuous vault like that of Bern. Finally in some instances, as, for example, the Stadkirche of Wimpfen[268] the liernes are curved giving a still more complicated character to the vault.
Fan vaulting was unused[269] outside of Great Britain, but there are many instances of the employment of extensively decorated vaults, including those with pendants of somewhat English character. Among the latter are Saint Pierre at Caen and Saint Eustache at Paris (1532-1637),[270] while pendants of especially exaggerated type are to be seen in the vault of one of the chapels off the south side aisle of Noyon
Fig. 41.—Noyon, Cathedral, Chapel.