INTERIOR OF THE NAVE IN 1919
The Great Nave
The fire of September 19, 1914, destroyed the framework of the Nave and its 15th century lead roof. In the following years a number of shells pierced the vaulting, without, however, damaging its vital parts. It will be possible to restore it.
It seems to be clearly established that although the first four bays were built later than the others, the nave as a whole, like that of the Cathedral of Amiens, was completely finished before 1300 A.D. Vaulted throughout on diagonal ribs, the nave, which is perfectly regular, has three stories: the lowest, formed of great arches, rests on massive pillars; the triforium, formed of two, four, five, or six arcades, extends round the entire building; the high twin-bay windows are surmounted with a six-leaved rose-window.
The pillars, which have been likened to a row of antique columns, are composed of a great cylindrical shaft, reinforced by four smaller engaged columns, standing on an octagonal base. The pillars which follow the first bay of the nave and carry one of the corners of the towers, as also the four pillars of the transept square, are more massive.
CAPITAL IN THE NAVE
The capitals of the pillars and of the columns (photo opposite) are most beautifully decorated. The dominating subject of their decoration is natural foliage (vine, oak, thistle, ivy, ranunculus, fig-tree). Occasionally, human or animal figures or monsters, and scenes from nature, i.e. the dainty Vintage scene on the capital of the sixth pillar on the right of the nave, are interspersed. The ornamentation of the capitals of six pillars of the first bays is more elaborate and more recent in style. These capitals are not, like those of the other pillars, divided on the four flanking columns into two equal courses by an astragal, neither do they include, like some of the others, crockets, acanthus leaves and other conventional ornaments of an older and less realistic style.