A Neighborhood Under Construction
To build a large structure, it is necessary to have large spaces to set up the construction site and store materials. This is why Maurice de Sully decided to demolish the Saint-Étienne cathedral. The cleared area served as a construction site before transforming into a forecourt. The construction of the cathedral began from the east of the old church. Similarly, to transport materials, easy circulation was necessary. However, the neighborhood only had narrow streets and two small bridges to access the island. Louis VI ordered the construction of a large bridge, called Pont-aux-changes. Maurice de Sully also had a wide artery of six meters, called Rue Neuve-Notre-Dame, constructed, useful both for the construction site and processions.
A Complex of Parishes
In the Middle Ages, places of worship were numerous, varying in size and affiliation. The cathedral church of Paris was the only parish church until the 12th century. The others held the status of chapels. In 1182, Philip Augustus ordered the expulsion of Jews from France. Their synagogue on the Île de la Cité was given to the bishop. Maurice de Sully reformed the places of worship on the island. The old synagogue was transformed into a church named Madeleine-en-la-Cité. It was the last of the twelve parish churches created by Maurice de Sully, including Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Jean-le-Rond, Saint-Denis-de-la-Chartre, Sainte-Croix, Saint-Germain-le-Vieux, Saint-Pierre-les-Arcis, Saint-Christophe, Sainte-Marine, Saint-Pierre-aux-Bœufs. The sacraments of the Eucharist and confession were mainly celebrated there. Baptisms and funerals were exclusively celebrated at Notre-Dame. Marriage was not yet recognized as a sacrament of the church. Other places of worship remained chapels like Saint-Symphorien, Saint-Aignan, Saint-Denis-du-Pas. All these places, except the Saint-Aignan chapel, disappeared after the Revolution.
The Hôtel-Dieu
The Hôtel-Dieu was the main hospital in the city. It was intended for pilgrims, the poor, and the sick. Donations for the Hôtel-Dieu flowed in from the king, the canons who bequeathed their bedding, and various property donations. These revenues allowed for the construction of a chapel and the large Saint Denis hall. Accessed from the new forecourt, this granted the establishment a prime location. Situated along the Seine on the south side, the Hôtel-Dieu benefited from access to water and light for better comfort. It was moved in the 19th century to the northern part of the island where it currently stands.
The Episcopal Palace
Before the construction of the cathedral, the bishop’s residence, or episcopal palace, was located near the apse of the old Saint-Étienne cathedral. Maurice de Sully had a new episcopal palace built, completed around 1170. It featured a large two-level hall and a two-level chapel. A high tower symbolized the bishop’s governing power. It also contained a prison and granaries. A gallery allowed the bishop to access the cathedral directly from his residence. The palace was also the seat of spiritual power. The officiality court, a legal body dependent on the diocesan curia, was held in the lower hall. In the upper hall, assemblies presided over by the bishop met to discuss diocesan affairs or church issues. From 1241, the bishop authorized the chapter to use the connecting gallery to store liturgical ornaments and safeguard the treasury. Later, the transept arm was extended, and the gallery lost its use. After the elevation of the Paris diocese to an archbishopric in 1622, Cardinal de Noailles began major works at the end of the 17th century to replace the disparate buildings that had gradually been added to the initial structure. A new palace was added to the medieval palace, extending to the cathedral’s apse.
The palace fell victim to two successive riots and lootings amidst anticlerical sentiment, on July 29, 1830, and then on February 14-15, 1831. The building was stormed and sacked. Its destruction was decided a few years later.
Several projects to construct a new palace for the archbishop were proposed, including one by Viollet-le-Duc in 1859, but none came to fruition.
