chevets

Chevets, in architectural terms, refer to the eastern end of a church, particularly in French Gothic design. A typical chevet comprises the choir enclosed by an ambulatory, around which are radiating chapels set into the outer eastern wall. This arrangement produces a polygonal or radiating silhouette at the east end and often accommodates multiple altars and relic spaces.

The ambulatory surrounding the choir allowed liturgical processions and pilgrim access without disturbing the main services, while the radiating chapels provided secluded spaces for private devotion and cult statues or relics. The design also enabled larger windows and more light to illuminate the sanctuary, a feature favored in higher Gothic architecture.

Chevets became common in late Romanesque and early to high Gothic architecture in northern France, especially in the Île-de-France region. They represent a significant evolution from simpler axial east ends to more complex, interconnected spaces that could handle larger congregations and more elaborate ritual practices. Notable churches with characteristic chevets include Saint-Denis, which influenced subsequent regional styles, and major cathedrals such as Chartres, Amiens, Reims, and Notre-Dame de Paris, each employing radiating chapels around the choir.

Not all medieval churches used a chevet; some retained a simpler, rectangular or polygonal east end without a surrounding ambulatory. The term chevets is primarily used in French architectural vocabulary, and when discussing multiple such ends, the plural chevets is employed in English-language descriptions.