Luçon Cathedral

From the 7th century onwards a benedictine monastery has stood in the location of the current cathedral in Luçon. Nothing of the original buildings remains today.

In the 11th century the work on building a cathedral here started, and some elements of this original roman style building can be seen, such as the north transept wth its orginal porch and carved entrance.

Most of the current cathedral was rebuilt during the 13th -15th centuries, in part because of damage during the Hundred Years War, and is in the gothic style that was common at that time. The cloister was also added in the 15th century. Most of the original furnishings in the cathedral were destroyed or looted during the Wars of Religion in the 16th century.

In the second half of the 17th century the original belltower of Lucon cathedral collapsed, destroring part of the nave, so a project of rebuilding began: by this period, the classical style was popular, which explains why the facade you see today is in this style.

The last major change to the appearance of the cathedral was the consruction of the spire, in the 19th cetury and in the neo-gothic style: this spire is 85 metres high and the tallest in the Pays de la Loire region. This was damaged by a storm that hit France at the end of 1999 but has been repaired, and the entire cathedral has been restored in recent years.

References:

• francethisway.com

Address

Place du Général Leclerc 16, Luçon, France

Details

Founded: 11th century
Category: Religious sites in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)