Laon Cathedral | The fourth south chapel

The polychrome paving in this chapel, laid in 1997, was made by pupils aged 6 to 12. These small ceramic tiles are reminiscent of the rich pavements that decorated religious buildings in the Middle Ages.

The tradition dates back to the early 12th century. Originally, the first pavements were made up of yellow and green monochrome tiles. Then, in the middle of the 13th century, tiles on a red background made their appearance, allowing for new combinations of colours. The most common motifs in the 14th and 15th centuries were rosettes and fleurs-de-lis. In the early 17th century, these were gradually replaced by stone or black and white marble tiles.
This marked the end of coloured floors in cathedrals...