The Church of Laval, built simultaneously with that of Angers, or only a few years later, shows a further advance, not merely in the matter of form, but in the increased science and ingenuity of combinations, and the methodical accuracy of the execution.
16. PLAN OF A SUMMER OF THE NAVE VAULT OF LA STE. TRINITÉ AT LAVAL
17. PLAN OF ONE OF THE PIERS OF THE NAVE OF LA STE. TRINITÉ AT LAVAL
The arches which compose the ossature of the vaults become independent in their functions, as at Angers, immediately upon leaving the abacus, an essential characteristic of the new system. The lateral points of support are composed of piers proper and of clustered columns, crowned by corbelled capitals, which, by prolonging them, mark the formerets, the diagonal, and the transverse arches as they fall upon the abaci. It is easy to see in this arrangement the origin of those clustered shafts so generally and even excessively used in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the main object of which was to conceal as far as possible the points of support.
These details, and the section ([Fig. 12]) showing the mode of construction in the vaults, demonstrate sufficiently that at Laval, no less than at Angers, a direct filiation exists between the dome upon pendentives and the groined and ribbed vault.