Une voûte à clef pendante du XIIIe siècle à Saint-Urbain de Troyes

A rare thirteenth-century hanging keystone, previously unpublished, has been identified in the collegiate church of Saint-Urbain de Troyes. This discovery challenges the long-held belief that such architectural ornaments first appeared in mid-fourteenth-century Gothic structures like the Avignon Papal Palace and Strasbourg Cathedral. Through critical analysis of stylistic features and construction phases, researchers dated the keystone to 1280-1290, making it the oldest known example on French soil. The study also explores its theological significance within the context of the Fête-Dieu observance established by Pope Urban IV, founder of the church.

Gallet, Y. (2013). Une voûte à clef pendante du XIIIe siècle à Saint-Urbain de Troyes. Bulletin Monumental, 171(1), 11–21. https://doi.org/10.3406/bulmo.2013.9519