Saint-Malo Cathedral, Saint-Malo, France

Saint-Malo Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Vincent-de-Saragosse de Saint-Malo) is a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to Saint Vincent of Saragossa. It was formerly the seat of the Bishop of Saint-Malo. The cathedral was built in 1146 when Jean de Châtillon, Bishop of Aleth, transferred his bishopric to the growing town of Saint-Malo on a more secure site across the river. The Benedictine monastery of Saint Malo, founded in 1108, became the home of the bishopric and its church the new cathedral, replacing Aleth Cathedral.

Saint-Malo Cathedral has undergone several transformations so you will see Romanesque, Gothic, High Gothic and Renaissance styles. However, in 1944 during a battle for the city the cathedral was bombed and the choir section collapsed. It took over 20 years to make the repairs.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Shaunas Adventures (3 years ago)
Love the sound of the bells that ring from here that vibrate through the city. It is quite the extraordinary experience if you manage to be inside the cathedral when the bells start to ring. Amazing!

Matthias H (3 years ago)
Beautiful cathedral, nice windows and silent

Bart Van den Bosch (3 years ago)
Not too great as cathedrals go but the (modern) glass windows are quite nice.

Jane White (3 years ago)
Rainy day, got very wet. The rain pouring from the roof was awesome.

Dave O'Brien (3 years ago)
Nice cathedral.. it has been extensively rebuilt like a lot of StMalo but still retains atmosphere and a sense of age

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Martin M. Miles

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The Abbey of Saint-Etienne, also known as Abbaye aux Hommes ('Men"s Abbey'), is a former monastery dedicated to Saint Stephen (Saint Étienne). It is considered, along with the neighbouring Abbaye aux Dames ('Ladies" Abbey'), to be one of the most notable Romanesque buildings in Normandy. Like all the major abbeys in Normandy, it was Benedictine.

Lanfranc, before being an Archbishop of Canterbury, was abbot of Saint-Etienne. Built in Caen stone during the 11th century, the two semi-completed churches stood for many decades in competition. An important feature added to both churches in about 1120 was the ribbed vault, used for the first time in France. The two abbey churches are considered forerunners of the Gothic architecture. The original Romanesque apse was replaced in 1166 by an early Gothic chevet, complete with rosette windows and flying buttresses. Nine towers and spires were added in the 13th century. The interior vaulting shows a similar progression, beginning with early sexpartite vaulting (using circular ribs) in the nave and progressing to quadipartite vaults (using pointed ribs) in the sanctuary.

The two monasteries were finally donated by William the Conqueror and his wife, Matilda of Flanders, as penalty for their marriage against the Pope"s ruling. William was buried here; Matilda was buried in the Abbaye aux Dames. Unfortunately William"s original tombstone of black marble, the same kind as Matilda"s in the Abbaye aux Dames, was destroyed by the Calvinist iconoclasts in the 16th century and his bones scattered.

As a consequence of the Wars of Religion, the high lantern tower in the middle of the church collapsed and was never rebuilt. The Benedictine abbey was suppressed during the French Revolution and the abbey church became a parish church. From 1804 to 1961, the abbey buildings accommodated a prestigious high school, the Lycée Malherbe. During the Normandy Landings in 1944, inhabitants of Caen found refuge in the church; on the rooftop there was a red cross, made with blood on a sheet, to show that it was a hospital (to avoid bombings).

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