Noyon

The setting for the coronation of Charlemagne, (768) and Hugh Capet (987), the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Noyon is the starting point of Gothic architecture; in fact the first Gothic cathedral in northern France.

Bishop Simon de Vermandois, a cousin of Louis the Fat, started reconstructing the cathedral about 1140. The new building preserved certain Romanesque features such as the apsidal chancel, but its outstanding architectural success is in the transepts where the great windows create a true wall of light.

There is little to be seen now of the once rich decoration. The stained glass, the paintings and sculptures suffered during the Revolution, during restoration work carried out by 18th-century canons, and through bombardment in the First World War.

There remain, however, beautifully made medieval and modern furnishings, notably a very rare 14th-century rood screen, as well as a fine collection of medieval furniture which is divided between the cathedral and the museum of the Noyonnais.

This great building is in the midst of a cluster of buildings regarded as one of the most complete cathedral quarters in northern France. Five buildings make up this quarter: the refectory, with its cellar and loft, the episcopal prison and courtroom, the chapter-house (at present the sacristy), the treasury, and lastly the chapter library.

A number of residences mostly from the 17th century, built for the canons and surrounding the cathedral close, mark the western limits of the quarter.

• The Jean CALVIN museum

uilt between 1927 and 1930 by the architect Charles Letrosne on the initiative of the Society for the History of Protestantism, the museum stands on the site of Jean Calvin's birthplace.

The museum is dedicated to JohnCalvin born on 10 July 1509 in Noyon and to the history of French Protestantism in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Numerous works and pictures help to reveal his personality and work, explaining the development of the Reformation, the conflicts between Catholics and Protestants and the relations between Protestants and royal power in the 16th century.

• The museum of Noyonnais

The Museum of the Noyonnais is housed in the ancient palace of the bishopric, the episcopal palace. Built in several stages, now there remains a 12th century square tower, a detached house dating from the 16th century and a 17th century wing which was linked to the cathedral. Opposite the museum, there are remains of the ancient 12th century episcopal chapel.

Being a museum of the arts, of archaeology and of the history of Noyon, it offers visitors an opportunity to discover the town, its origin and its development from the Gallo-Roman period (1st century B.C.) up to now, with Gallo-Roman objects, models, furniture…

A collection of pictures by the orientalist painter, Joseph-Félix Boucher (1853-1937) will mark your tour.

Noyon, the only town in Oise to which the French Ministry of Culture has awarded the distinction of being a "Town of Artistic, Architectural and Historic Interest", was the birthplace of St. Ely and John Calvin. It was here that Charlemagne and Hugh Capet were crowned and the area around the 12th-century cathedral is filled with superb reminders of the town's historic, architectural and cultural heritage, the result of a history more than 2,000 years old.

As you pass from the traces of Gallo-Roman occupation to reminders of the town's Reconstruction, or take a tour of a cathedral that is a gem of Gothic architecture, listen to the story of Noyon.