France's Gothic treasure of Laon

By Sabine Glaubitz Oct 11, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Paris - The old town of Laon sits on the summit of a steep hill standing above the new town.

Laudanum, as it has been known since Charlemagne's time, can be seen from far away. 'The Crowned Mountain' is how locals describe it.

Laon has existed since ancient times and is still protected to this day by a seven-kilometre-long wall.

Today, it is the best preserved of France's large historic towns - every street in Laon retains buildings from earlier eras.

The town's most famous structure is its cathedral, Notre-Dame de Laon, which is one of the most beautiful in France. It was known throughout medieval Europe for its fine rose window, its octagonal towers, and two storey aisles.

Villard de Honnecourt, one of the most esteemed architects of the 13th century, said of the cathedral: 'I have seen many things ... but I have never seen towers more beautiful than in Laon.'

But Laon's biggest admirer in its 2,000 year history was the author Victor Hugo.

'Everything is beautiful in Laon, the churches, the houses, the surrounding area, simply everything ...' wrote Hugo in 1835. Though he was a well-travelled man, Laon remained one of Hugo's favorite places.

History peeks around every corner in Laon.

One example is the Porte d'Ardon, the entrance to the old town. A mighty palace dating from the Carolingian dynasty once stood behind the gate. It was here that members of the Frankish noble family summered.

Two famous scholars, Pierre Abaelard and Anselm of Canterbury, debated philosophical matters behind the heavy wooden door in the Rue Vinchon 44. A monastery was opened here in the 13th century.

All streets in Laon lead to the cathedral at the centre of the old town.

The cathedral is one of many constructed in the region during the 12th and 13th centuries, and it helped make France's Picardy the cradle of the Gothic art movement.

Each of the cathedrals in Amiens, Beauvais, Noyon, Senlis and Laon boast unique qualities.

For example, Notre-Dame de Laon served as the model on which later cathedrals in Paris, Reims and Chartres were based. The 16 life-size oxen figures adorning its towers are considered some of the finest sculptures of animals created during the 12th century.