Avignon Cathedral

Cathedral of Our Lady of Doms
Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms d'Avignon

Avignon Cathedral
Basic information
Location Avignon, France
Geographic coordinates 43°57′3″N 4°48′48″E / 43.95083°N 4.81333°E / 43.95083; 4.81333Coordinates: 43°57′3″N 4°48′48″E / 43.95083°N 4.81333°E / 43.95083; 4.81333
Affiliation Roman Catholic
Rite Roman
District Archdiocese of Avignon
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Cathedral
Architectural description
Architectural type Church
Architectural style Romanesque
Groundbreaking 12th century
Completed 1425
Detail of a drawing by Étienne Martellange dating from the first quarter of the 17th century. The cathedral is at the top left, beyond the Palais des Papes.

Avignon Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms d'Avignon) is a Roman Catholic cathedral located next to the Palais des Papes in the French city of Avignon. It is the seat of the Archbishop.

The cathedral is a Romanesque building, built primarily in the second half of the 12th century.[1] The bell tower collapsed in 1405 and was rebuilt in 1425. In 1670-1672 the apse was rebuilt and extended.[2]

The building was abandoned and allowed to deteriorate during the Revolution, but it was reconsecrated in 1822 and restored by the archbishop Célestin Dupont in 1835-1842.[3] The most prominent feature of the cathedral is a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary atop the bell tower which was erected in 1859.[3] The interior contains many works of art. The most famous of these is the mausoleum of Pope John XXII (died 1334), a 14th-century Gothic carving. It was moved in 1759, damaged during the Revolution, and restored to its original position in 1840.[4] The cathedral was listed as a Monument historique in 1840.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Girard 1958, p. 162.
  2. ↑ Girard 1958, pp. 163, 166.
  3. 1 2 Girard 1958, p. 163.
  4. ↑ Girard 1958, p. 165.
  5. ↑ "Cathédrale Notre-Dame-des-Doms". Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée. Retrieved 8 August 2014.

Sources

Further reading

External links

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