Tour de Beurre, Rouen Cathedral

The Tour de Beurre of Rouen Cathedral is undoubtedly one of France’s finest examples of Flamboyant Gothic architecture.

As one of the three towering spires that make Rouen Cathedral one of the country’s most stunning sanctuaries, the Tour de Beurre stands out for its magnificence and elegance.

This tower is a true masterpiece located on the southern side of the West front.

With its pinnacles, gables, and statues adorning every side, it’s a feast for the eyes.

The tower’s design seems to float effortlessly against the sky, topped with an intricate crown of open stonework.

During my visit, I was truly captivated by the beauty and grandeur of this tower. It’s a must-see for anyone passionate about architecture and history, offering a glimpse into one of Rouen’s greatest treasures.

Construction of the Tour de Beurre

The Tour de Beurre is more recent than the Tour Saint-Romain, which was built to counterbalance the West front of Rouen Cathedral.

Like its counterpart, the Tour de Beurre was not built above the side aisles of the nave.

Robert de Croismare, then archbishop of Rouen, laid the foundation stone on November 10, 1485.

Work was first led by architect Guillaume Pontif and then by Jacques le Roux, who completed the tower in 1506.

During the construction, a small land subsidence made the tower shift southwards, making it necessary to remodel the central portal of the West Front.

In 1507, Rouen archbishop Georges d’Amboise consecrated the tower.

The clergyman was so delighted by the new tower that he chose it to house the largest bell in France.

The tower was built following a square plan and comprises four square-plan levels adorned with statues, pinnacles, gargoyles, and gables on every side.

The statues are amazing, especially those on the eastern side, which are inspired by the legend of Ara Coeli.

The gargoyles of the tower:

The Crown of the Tour de Beurre

The tower’s last level is a Gothic marvel as it transforms the squared plan into a refined octagonal balustrade of open stonework. 

One characteristic of the Flamboyant Gothic style is that the ‘crown’ is more yellow than the rest of the tower. 

While the bell tower was built with white stones from the quarry of Caumont near Rouen, the crown was designed with stones from Saint-Maximin quarry in the Oise Valley.

One might think that the ‘crown’ was sculpted through butter.

This is one of the reasons why the tower is called ‘Tour de Beurre’ (Butter Tower).

The other reason behind the name of the tower is a religious one.

In the Middle Ages, the consumption of butter was banned during Lent.

For parishioners who hoped to escape the drastic religious rule, permission was given to keep eating ‘fat’ in return for a donation of six Livres Tournois.

Pope Innocent VIII granted the purchase of such indulgences.

The construction of the Tour de Beurre cost 24,750 Livres Tournois.

In 1499, as the bell tower was near completion, there was an animated discussion on how to top the tower.

In the mind of the hardliners, a stone spire was in their favour, following the Gothic tradition, whilst the modern thinkers supported a crown.

Considering the divergent opinions expressed in stormy debates, the deterioration of finances and the contention with the architect, construction stopped momentarily.

In 1505, an agreement was found, and the decision was taken to end the tower with a spire – which was never built.

Eventually, the elaborate terrace – the crown – was placed on top of the Tour de Beurre.

The towers’ Carillon

The tower houses one of France’s biggest carillons.

In 1914, it had 29 bells and was later enlarged by the Paccard Bell Foundry in Annecy to include 64 bells.

In 2015-2016, Paccard restored the carillon, including the largest bell, the bourdon Jeanne d’Arc, weighing 10 metric tonnes.

According to Paccard, the carillon of Rouen will be France’s second-largest after the one found in the Castle of the Dukes of Savoy, Chambéry (70 bells).

My book recommendation!

Its name? Simply:

Gothic: Architecture, Sculpture, Painting by Rolf Toman, Publisher: Ullmann

This book has been a great resource for me. It helped me better understand the Gothic movement in art from the 12th century to the Renaissance, an architectural style that originated in France and spread all over Europe.

Over 500 pages, it focuses on the development of Gothic architecture with many illustrations and photographs, but not only.

I’ve also found the in-depth discussion of the most diverse art forms, including painting, sculpture, metalwork and even book illumination, interesting!

It also includes specific coverage of the Cathars’ Heresy and the Papal Palace in Avignon.

And, of course, it mentions the Notre Dame de Rouen cathedral!

This is definitely the book I recommend if—like me—you love everything Gothic, including churches, gargoyles, stained glass, flying buttresses, and so much more.

Order it online!

Interior of the Tour de Beurre

The ground floor of the tower is occupied by a chapel: ‘Saint-Étienne-la-Grande-Église’.

Accessed from the south side aisle, it stands on the site of two older chapels (1275), Saint-Jacques and Saint-Christophe, built before the edification of the Tour de Beurre.

The chapel houses two recumbent statues from the 17th century: Claude Groulard (first president of the Parliament of Normandy) and his wife, Barbe Guiffard.

Several headstones adorn the chapel:

• Denis Gastinel (1440), a canon of the cathedral who was one of Joan of Arc’s judges,
• Nichole Sarrazin (1505),
• Inguerran d’Étrépagny (13th century),
• Nichole Gibouin (1320),
• Étienne de Sens (1282),
• and the headstone of the three ‘Innocents of Les Andelys’ hanged in 1625.

The lofty vaulted room features some beautiful stained-glass windows from the 16th century.

Part of the ground floor is used as a souvenir store.

The chapel can be accessed from the South side aisles of the cathedral.

Facts about the ‘Butter Tower’ of Rouen Cathedral

The Tour de Beurre is Rouen Cathedral’s third-highest tower, after the Lantern Tower and Tour Saint-Romain, at 77 metres above ground level.

When completed in the early 16th century, it was Rouen’s tallest building.

It overlooked the Seine harbour and the trading districts of the local bourgeoisie.

The city of Rouen regarded the lofty tower with pride, just as the people of Strasbourg did regarding their cathedral’s spire (which was then the tallest building in the world).

The Tour de Beurre resembles another iconic landmark in Rouen: the lantern tower of the Abbey Church of Saint-Ouen, also nicknamed the Crown of Normandy.

The best views of the Tour de Beurre are from the Place de la Cathédrale, rue du Change and the viewpoint of Côte Sainte-Catherine.

The Tour de Beurre stood untouched by the Allied bombing in 1944, unlike the Tour Saint-Romain, which was unfortunately damaged by the air raid.

The Tribune Tower in Chicago

The Tour de Beurre partly inspired the architects of Tribune Tower, Chicago, to design the 141-metre-high skyscraper.

The Tribune Tower, in turn, inspired the construction of two buildings in Australia: the Grace Building in Sydney and the Manchester Unity Building in Melbourne.

Find out more about Rouen Cathedral.

For more information, visit the Rouen Tourist Board website.