Choir In War-damaged French Church Restored As 'chapel Of Light'

摘要

The choir of a medieval church in northern France that was damaged during World War II and remained closed for more than 60 years has now been restored and its floor structurally reinforced to support the weight of 13 massive sculptures and a new baptismal font, all designed by the British artist Anthony Caro. The Eg-lise de Saint-Jean-Baptiste, a Romanesque abbey church in the small town of Bour-bourg, approximately 19 km east of Calais, is a mostly stone structure that largely dates to the 13th century, although some portions are older. Designated a French national heritage site in 1920, the Gothic choir section was heavily damaged in 1940 when a military aircraft crashed into the church and set the roof on fire. Later, parts of the building collapsed and the German army removed the stone floor tiles.