La vue de la pompe funèbre de Charles de Broglie et l'espace liturgique de Noyon. Les œuvres de Pierre-François Godot et de Jacques Gondouin

A view of the faneral of Charles de Broglie and the liturgical space at Noyon. The works of Pierre-François Godot and Jacques Gondouin, by Éloi Delbecque A watercolour representing the interior of Noyon Cathedral on the day of Charles de Broglie's funeral gives us a view ofthe liturgical space, renovated between 1742 and the seventh of July 1778, and the installation of the architectural project of Pierre-François Godot, which moved the high altar from the apse to the crossing of the transept. After the death of Jean-François de la Cropte de Bourzac, the first bishop who participated along with the chapter in mounting the rénovation project for this space, the watercolour ofthe funeral of his successor shows the state ofthe choir : a marble pavement, grills replacing the jubé, a provisional high altar dressed with candelabra and a Eucharistie suspension offered by Louis XIV, stalls, an Assumption and glory. A watercolour by Tavernier de Jonquières shows the neo-classical high altar conceived by the architect Jacques Gondouin, who was discovered by Christian Baulez. The marble was sculpted by Jacques-François Dropsy, Olivier was the founder and Courbin the metal smith. The work, finished more than thirty years after the modification ofthe choir of Notre-Dame in Paris, brought a major innovation to the interior space of cathedrals, for now the faithful were in direct relation with God through the intermediary of the officiant, whereas the bishop, his chapter and the other ecclesiastics were placed behind the high altar. If, for the facing side, the affirmations of the Council of Trent are fully justified since the relies of saints are placed under the altar table, the rear face was magnified by its decoration and offers a hierarchical and pyramidal vision ofthe cathedral church that extends upwards from the below the ground, from the vault where the remains of bishops were interred, to the niches bearing the principle saints ofthe diocèse, to the tabernacle and statue of the patron of the church, the Virgin Mary bearing the child Jesus.