Avignon Cathedral, Avignon, France

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

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. The most prominent feature of the cathedral is a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary atop the bell tower which was erected in 1859.

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. The cathedral was listed as a Monument historique in 1840.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Luka Mitrovic (7 months ago)
The beauty that most be visited if you are in Avignon.

Eddie Hilton (8 months ago)
Not very big, not amazing but still interesting.

Antonio Ferreira (11 months ago)
The church employee is very rude. He asked women with shorts (it was 35 degrees out) to leave, he asked people to remove hats impolitely and shooshed people who were speaking normally (not loudly) all in the span of the 5 minutes of my visit. He should be replaced, he is clearly way past retirement age...

Yair Bar Zohar (2 years ago)
An important building - Avignon Cathedral, which is the Archbishop's seat. Built in the 12th century, the cathedral is dedicated to Miriam, and is listed as a historical monument in 1840. If you are interested in architecture, you will see that the cathedral is distinctly Romanesque in style with some Greek and Roman influences. On the top of the cathedral bell tower you can see the statue of the Virgin Mary, created in 1859. If you wish, you can also enter and be impressed by the many spectacular works of art inside the cathedral, including three statues of the Virgin Mary. There are also some interesting landmarks within the cathedral, including Pope John Twenty-second and the Marble Throne, which the Pope used in the 12th century. Admission is free. Opening Hours: Daily 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The hours may vary according to religious ceremonies. How long should you visit? About half an hour.

Yahya TSB (2 years ago)
Superb. It still amazes me that Avignon was at some time the center of Catholic world during the Middle Ages, and this place being the center of it. Given the current grandeur of Vatican, truly this fact is astonishing.

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Historic Site of the week

Heraclea Lyncestis

Heraclea Lyncestis was an ancient Greek city in Macedon, ruled later by the Romans. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC. The city was named in honor of the mythological hero Heracles. The name Lynkestis originates from the name of the ancient kingdom, conquered by Philip, where the city was built.

Heraclea was a strategically important town during the Hellenistic period, as it was at the edge of Macedon"s border with Epirus to the west and Paeonia to the north, until the middle of the 2nd century BC, when the Romans conquered Macedon and destroyed its political power. The main Roman road in the area, Via Egnatia went through Heraclea, and Heraclea was an important stop. The prosperity of the city was maintained mainly due to this road.

The Roman emperor Hadrian built a theatre in the center of the town, on a hill, when many buildings in the Roman province of Macedonia were being restored. It began being used during the reign of Antoninus Pius. Inside the theatre there were three animal cages and in the western part a tunnel. The theatre went out of use during the late 4th century AD, when gladiator fights in the Roman Empire were banned, due to the spread of Christianity, the formulation of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the abandonment of, what was then perceived as, pagan rituals and entertainment.

Late Antiquity and Byzantine periods

In the early Byzantine period (4th to 6th centuries AD) Heraclea was an important episcopal centre. A small and a great basilica, the bishop"s residence, and a funerary basilica and the necropolis are some of the remains of this period. Three naves in the Great Basilica are covered with mosaics of very rich floral and figurative iconography; these well preserved mosaics are often regarded as fine examples of the early Christian art period.

The city was sacked by Ostrogoth/Visigoth forces, commanded by Theodoric the Great in 472 AD and again in 479 AD. It was restored in the late 5th and early 6th century. When an earthquake struck in 518 AD, the inhabitants of Heraclea gradually abandoned the city. Subsequently, at the eve of the 7th century, the Dragovites, a Slavic tribe pushed down from the north by the Avars, settled in the area. The last coin issue dates from ca. 585, which suggests that the city was finally captured by the Slavs. As result, in place of the deserted city theatre several huts were built.

The Episcopacy Residence was excavated between 1970 and 1975. The western part was discovered first and the southern side is near the town wall. The luxury rooms are located in the eastern part. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th rooms all have mosaic floors. Between the 3rd and 4th rooms there is a hole that led to the eastern entrance of the residence. The hole was purposefully created between the 4th and 6th century.

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