CHÂTEAU-LANDON
. Of the medieval monuments of Château-Landon (Seine-et-Marne), only the church of
Notre-Dame retains its architectural interest. To a late 11th-or early 12th-century nave, a
broad transept and open, spacious triapsidal chevet was added in the 1130s-40s. The
chevet is of particular interest as a good surviving example of the regional traditions in
decoration mainfested in the 12th-century additions to the church of Saint-Denis.
William W.Clark
Deshoulières, François. “Château-Landon, église Notre-Dame.” Congrès archéologique (Orléans)
93(1930):242–59.
Serbat, Louis. “Excursion à Larchant, Château-Landon, Ferrièresen-Gâtinais.” Bulletin monumental
75(1911):285–305.
CHÂTEAUDUN
. Now a sleepy provincial town, Châteaudun (Eure-et-Loir) was an important center in
the Middle Ages, with an imposing château that commanded the river below. The château
retains a 12th-century donjon and a 15th-century wing with a private chapel.
The most interesting of the remaining churches is La Madeleine, which has a 12th-
century nave started on an ambituous scale with double aisles on the north, or town, side.
The plan, which initially called for an ambulatory around the chevet, was curtailed with a
simple polygonal apse. The elaborate acanthus capitals in the nave recall Parisian work of
the third quarter of the 12th century; several are particularly close to examples in the
churches of Saint-Denis and Saint-Pierre-de-Montmartre in Paris; others are related to a
series of acanthus capitals in the Loire Valley. The south nave wall reveals that rib
vaulting was initially planned but like the elaborate east end was abandoned prior to
completion, although the aisles have their original vaults. A curious mid-12th-century
portal on the south side was rediscovered in 1885. Major repairs were necessary in the
16th and 17th centuries and in the aftermath of World War II.
First mentioned in 1037, the church of Saint-Valérien was built in the 12th century and
given rib vaults in the later years of that century. Heavily remodeled in 1491 and again in
1591, the aisles nevertheless preserve groin-vaulted bays. The flat chevet was covered by
an elaborate ten-part rib vault. In all, Saint-Valérien is related to architectural practices
slightly to the east, perhaps ultimately owing to Sens, in which naves were given six-part
vaults matching double aisle units.
William W.Clark
Baratte-Bévillard, Sophie. “La sculpture monumentale de la Madeleine de Châteaudun.” Bulletin
archéologique n.s. 8 (1972):105–25.
Grant, Lindy. “Aspects of the Twelfth-Century Design of La Madeleine at Châteaudun.” Journal of
the British Archaeological Association 3 (1982):23–34.
Lesueur, F. “Châteaudun, château.” Congrès archéologique (Orléans) 93(1930):476–520.
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