![]() The word is a stonemason's term borrowed in Middle English from French verbs connoting a "turn" (OED). An enlarged and sometimes slightly dropped keystone is often found in Mannerist arches of the 16th century, beginning with the works of Giulio Romano, who also began the fashion for using voussoirs above rectangular openings, rather than a lintel (Palazzo Stati Maccarani, Rome, circa 1522). ![]() The springer is the lowest voussoir on each side, located where the curve of the arch springs from the vertical support or abutment of the wall or pier.The keystone is often decorated or enlarged. The keystone is the centre stone or masonry unit at the apex of an arch. Figures in stoneĮlgin has more medieval memorials than any other Scottish cathedral.Wikipedia Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votesĪ voussoir () is a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, which is used in building an arch or vault.Although each unit in an arch or vault is a voussoir, two units are of distinct functional importance: the keystone and the springer. Inside are a well-preserved reading lectern and a riot of carved beasts and faces. The choir and presbytery, built around 1270, show the influence of regional trends, but have a distinctive style unique to Elgin.Īn octagonal chapter house dates from the late 1200s. The east end of the cathedral was greatly extended after the fire of 1270 to provide a more magnificent setting for worship. features an oval recess above, which once housed a carved image, perhaps of the Holy Trinity, and is flanked by angels.has two doorway arches added in the early 1400s.has a processional entrance dating from after 1270.is flanked by two tall towers – part the original building.Most awe-inspiring of all is the spectacular west front. Much of the nave is reduced to foundations, but the rest stands remarkably complete. One of Elgin’s former bishops, Alexander Bur (1362–97) boasted that his cathedral was “the ornament of the realm, the glory of the kingdom”. After the Reformation, it was used only sometimes for Catholic worship. Before the time of Bishop Brice of Douglas (1203–22), it moved between Kinneddar, Birnie and Spynie.īishop Brice chose Spynie (2 miles north) as the permanent location for his cathedral, but it moved to Elgin around 1224. But the bishop’s ‘cathedra’ (seat) wasn’t always at Elgin. ![]() The cathedral was the spiritual heart of the diocese of Moray. A fine collection of architectural fragments hints at the building’s lost beauty, while documentary evidence sheds light on religious life at Elgin. The cathedral was once richly carved and adorned with stained glass and painted decoration. Even as a ruin, the cathedral still boasts plenty of detail that tells of its development and embellishment. ![]() Work began on the cathedral in the first half of the 1200s, but it is the product of three main building phases. It continued to do so even after its demise at the Protestant Reformation of 1560. The monumentally impressive building dominated the flat and fertile Laich of Moray from the time it was built. Elgin Cathedral, known as the ‘Lantern of the North’, is one of Scotland’s most beautiful medieval cathedrals.
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