In the year 1228, this parish was situated without the walls of the
town. In that year, Geoffroy de Capreville granted a portion of ground
belonging to himself, and situated in the parish of Saint-Maclou,
_without_ the town. At that time the church of Saint-Maclou was only a
chapel, of which the construction was not very remarkable. About the
middle of the XVth century, the erection of the present edifice was
commenced. In the year 1511, the works were far advanced, the platform
which was to support the steeple having been already built.
[Illustration: Saint-Maclou]
This church was formerly called the _fille ainee de Mgr l'archeveque_.
The sacred oils were kept in this church, and were distributed to the
different parishes of the diocese. This privilege was shown by two
vases, supported on two iron bars on each side of the cross, which
surmounted the great porch. In the general processions, the cross of
Saint-Maclou took precedence of all others, and led the procession.
The church is one hundred and forty two feet in length, by seventy six
feet in breadth, taking in the aisles. Its height, from the pavement of
the nave to the extremity of the ancient steeple, was about two hundred
and forty feet. This handsome steeple, in the form of a cone, rose to a
height of one hundred and fifteen feet above the lantern: one could
ascend to the cross, by the exterior of it, without a ladder. In 1705,
it was shaken by a hurricane; thirty years later, it became dangerous:
and they were obliged to take down the greater part of it. It was almost
destroyed during the revolution, when its whole covering of lead was
taken off, to make bullets. At present they are repairing the belfry
which was erected instead of that steeple.
The interior of the church merits the whole attention of the curious. I
will mention particularly the beautifully sculptured staircase, which
leads to the organ. The authors of _the picturesque and romantic
travels into ancient France_, have not forgotten to place this gothic
jewel in their work.
The great porch of Saint-Maclou is very remarkable. It had formerly
three very commodious entrances; but, they have contrived, at I do not
know what time, to build a house _before_ and _quite close_ to the
southwest door way; which, in consequence is closed up.
The municipal administration lately decided that this house should be
pulled down, that the door which it closes up may be opened; but it will
be of no use but for the general appearence of the front of the edifice,
as this door does not present, like the others, any very interesting
details of architecture. It is more than probable that they existed
formerly, but, being hid from view, the door was taken off and replaced
by the plain one, which exists at present; this loss must be deeply
felt, when we contemplate the sculpture, which ornamented the other
entrances and which strangers will not fail to admire, either in the
western front or the northern porch from the rue Martainville. These
sculptures, which are attributed to the celebrated Jean Goujon, consist
principally of bas-reliefs representing different subjects from the
Bible, such as _the death of the Virgin_, on the door in the rue
Martainville; the _baptism of Jesus-Christ_, on the door of the great
porch, etc. On the small door to the left, are also some very curious
bas-reliefs.
Saint-Maclou still preserves almost the whole of its ancient painted
glass windows, which are composed in general of isolated figures of
saints, covered with canopies and in the style of the _Renaissance_. The
lower portions of these paintings have been very much mutilated.[16]
Almost opposite the northern porch of the church, we find the entrance
to what was formerly the burying ground of Saint-Maclou, which answered
the same purpose in Rouen, as that of the SAINT-INNOCENTS, in Paris.
M.E.-H. Langlois has discovered, on the columns of the buildings which
surrounded this ancient churchyard, the fragments, unfortunately almost
shapeless, of a _macabre_ dance.
[Footnote 16: The model in relief of this church and made in the first
hall of the XVth century, may be seen in the Museum of antiquities.]