The present bells weigh four and six tons respectively and date from 1756. They were so cast as to have the same proportions and tones as those of the St. Germain-des-Prés Church in Paris.
The Apse of the Great Choir
The basement is the remains of a Roman apse. The upper portion dates from the end of the 14th century.
APSIS OF THE GREAT CHOIR, SEEN FROM THE BANKS OF THE MEUSE (see [p. 34]).
The bas-reliefs are Roman carvings, re-utilised in the Gothic buttresses. From right to left they represent Adam and Eve; the Annunciation (the Virgin and Angel are separated by a tree, whose shape recalls the Tree of Life on the Chaldean cylinders reproduced on the cloth-stuffs exported from Byzantium); Cain and Abel (through an error in perspective, frequently to be found in Egyptian art, the bust and trunk of the two patriarchs are shown in profile, whilst the feet are facing frontwards); an unknown bishop.
THE GREAT NAVE
In the background: The old choir and organ-loft (the organs had been removed).
In the foreground: The marble balustrade of the Great Choir protected by sandbags