ARCHITECTURE - Karatunov.net

i 5 6 FRANCE NORMANDY [CH. xxivAbbaye other conventional ornaments, as well as a roll-mouldingxDames, 'elsewhere. There was originallya wide round-headedCaenwindow in each bay both above and below but the lowerlightshave been blocked. There are two bays betweenthe apse and crossing, the lower storey a blank wall, theupper with loftyround-headed windows and a passagein the wall continued from that round the apse (Fig. 1 12).The bays are divided by a wide transverse rib springingfrom a wall shaft, and the groining is plain quadripartitewithout diagonalribs.The nave has three storeys, the triforium beingrepresented by a series of narrow openings, six in a bay,which are not very interesting, and the greatarches aredecorated with the embattled fret that occurs in thechoir.s. Nicho- There are other Romanesque churches of interestlasin Caen and the S.neighbourhood.NICHOLAS is themost remarkable of them, with its curious lofty semi-coneover the apse, risinglike the half-section of a steepleabove theroof.s. Michel The church of S. MICHEL DE VAUCELLES in the suburbse au ~has a beautiful tower and spirein the later style of Normanceiiesarchitecture, when the workmen had gained greater skilland freedom in dealing with their material and the stylehad begunto abate itsseverity (Plate CXXVIII).shafted and mouldedThe belfry stagewith its richlywindows would seem to be coeval with the upper storeysof the towers of S. tienne, while that below has theplain square sunk panelling between narrow strips ofpilasters which mark the Conqueror's work on the samebuilding.s. contest The village of S, CONTEST, a few miles off, has atower and spire of the same date and style, with a similar