Mélina Facchin 10:26 a.m., January 11, 2023
A parchment over 600 years old has been acquired by the town hall of Strasbourg.
It represents the plan of the cathedral of the city and in particular a unique drawing of the spire of the monument.
This major work had mysteriously disappeared over the centuries before suddenly reappearing on the art market.
It is a unique work of art that the city of Strasbourg and its museums have just acquired: a parchment from the beginning of the 15th century which represents an architectural plan of the famous cathedral of Strasbourg.
In particular, we see the probably oldest drawing of the spire and we notice notable differences with the monument of today.
Europe 1 was able to preview this priceless work.
A completely different spire from the current cathedral
This two-meter parchment dates from 1419 and yet it is in a remarkable state of preservation!
Drawn in pen and black ink by the architect of Strasbourg Cathedral, Johannes Hültz, this plan is full of details, some of which differ strangely from the current cathedral.
“The arrow part is indeed very different,” notes Cécile Dupeux, curator of the Notre-Dame de Strasbourg museum.
"On the plan, it forms a kind of pyramid, quite conventional, typical of the 14th century, while the current cathedral offers eight spiral staircases which converge to the summit spire", she continues.
"It's something you didn't see anywhere else and was considered the eighth wonder of the world at the end of the 15th century."
Another notable difference: the plan shows a statue of the Virgin and Child at the top of the spire.
"This monumental statue, two meters high, did exist," assures Cécile Dupeux.
"But it was dismantled between 1486 and 1488, probably because of bad weather, probably struck by lightning".
Today, a simple wooden cross overlooks the monument.
A work purchased for 1,750,000 euros
This incredible parchment has long and mysteriously disappeared, possibly at the time of the French Revolution.
But it suddenly reappeared on the art market a few years ago.
An opportunity that the city of Strasbourg refused to miss.
"It's a completely exceptional document", rejoices Anne Mistler, assistant to the Arts and Cultures of the City of Strasbourg.
“From the moment we already had a collection of architectural drawings of the cathedral, letting go of this one would have been nonsense. It had to be with us!”, she smiles.
But for that, it was necessary to negotiate for many years with the former anonymous owner of the parchment.
In the end, the operation will have cost 1,750,000 euros, financed almost entirely by patronage, in particular Crédit Mutuel.
The general public is invited to come and discover this unique work from January 21 to April 23 at the Notre-Dame museum in Strasbourg.