Le Havre Cathedral

Le Havre, France

Le Havre Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Havre) was previously a parish church dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, and is the oldest of the very few buildings in central Le Havre to have survived the devastation of World War II. It became a cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of Le Havre in 1974, when the diocese of Le Havre was created.

The belltower dates from around 1520 and the main façade is Baroque. The building was kept unusually low because of the difficulties posed by the unstable ground. The fine church organs were the gift of the Cardinal de Richelieu in 1637, when he was governor of the town.

There is a memorial in the cathedral for the 5,000 civilians who lost their lives during the Nazi occupation of the city in World War II.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 1575
Category: Religious sites in France

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Georgios Bantis (4 months ago)
Very nice Church I like it
Marta Krzeminska (11 months ago)
One of the must-see spots on the map of Le Havre. Not by my count, but by that of Trip Advisor, a recommendation I won't contest, but only because there isn't that much to choose from to include on the top 10 list. Nice stained glass windows. ?
Anastasia Balandina (14 months ago)
On the smaller side compared to at Joseph’s, but non the less beautiful. Worth looking in as it is full of history
Amanda Fisackerly (2 years ago)
Glorious building, beautifully restored post WW2, yet retaining the grace and dignity of its former glory.
Ondřej Fajfrlík (2 years ago)
Deserves restauration.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Broch of Gurness

The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick.