“And the walls came tumbling down…”

Medieval Europe was plagued by many wars that wreaked destruction and death throughout the land. This pattern continued well after the end of the medieval period. Through all these wars, armies left standing many grand and magnificent medieval Gothic cathedrals and structures. This sense of honorable warfare came to an end with the start of the Great War in 1914. From England and Spain in the west to Russia in the east, there was not any war that would bring such destruction upon Europe, let alone to its cathedrals. A prime example of the destruction is the story of the cathedral at Ypres, Belgium, commonly known as Saint Martin’s Cathedral.

St. Martin's Cathedral, Ypres, Belgium. Notice the rose mirror and lofty heights.

Interior of Cathedral. Notice the stained glass all the way around.

Construction for St. Martin’s, which originally started out as a large church and not a cathedral, began in 1230 and wasn’t finished until 1370. Standing 335 feet high, St. Martin’s had many of the common components (according to Judith Bennett) of Gothic architecture: pointed archways, stained glass, rose windows, and flying buttresses. Originally a part of the Diocese of Therouanne, the church at Ypres served the community in the prosperous region of modern day Belgium. The church was promoted to cathedral status in the 16^th century following the razing of Therouanne, and the following reform that abolished the previous diocese. Ypres became its own diocese and the church became St. Martin’s Cathedral. This status would remain until 1801 with the Concordant between Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pious VII which incorporated the Diocese of Ypres into the Diocese of Ghent.

Ruins of the Cathedral during WWI

Just as Bennett discusses, the relatively thin tall walls supported by their flying buttresses, stood strong against weather and time. However they could not hold up to the pounding of shells and explosions from German artillery in World War One. The scene of trench warfare, the city of Ypres and St. Martin’s was devastated and nearly completely leveled.

Following the war, the ruins of St. Martin’s was removed and rebuilt following the original plans except for a higher spire on the tower.

Original Cathedral prior to the war. Notice that there is no spire on the tower to the left.

For more information regarding St. Martin’s Cathedral:

http://www.toerisme-ieper.be/item.php?itemno=485_465_142_145_229_226_191&lang=EN

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Martin%27s_Cathedral,_Ypres

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ypres

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2282108/World-War-One-wasteland-Haunting-rare-images-apocalyptic-destruction-Western-Front.html (this one has some fascinating, and shocking, photos of St. Martin’s and Ypres after WWI)

Additional Reading on Gothic cathedrals:

Judith Bennett’s Medieval Europe: A Short History, p. 292-296

Before & After Photos of the interior of the Cathedral