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

Address

Place du Palais 1, Avignon, France

See all sites in Avignon

Details

Founded: 1670-1672
Category: Religious sites in France

More Information

www.cathedrale-avignon.fr
en.wikipedia.org
whc.unesco.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Palais des Papes (0,1 km)
Musée du Petit Palais (0,2 km)
Pont d'Avignon (0,3 km)
Fort Saint-André (1,7 km)
Calvet Museum (0,6 km)
Tour Philippe-le-Bel (1,1 km)

Arles Amphitheatre (33,6 km)
Arles Roman Theatre (33,8 km)
St. Trophime Church (33,8 km)
Arena of Nîmes (38,2 km)
Arles Obelisk (33,8 km)
Château des Baux (23,1 km)
Arles Cryptoporticus (33,9 km)
Espace Van Gogh (34 km)
Pont du Gard (21,8 km)

User Reviews

Doug Neilson (14 months ago)
Next to Popes' Palace. Lovely cathedral with all expected facilities. Several Popes are buried here, from 14th Cent when the papacy was resident in Avignon.

Caroline Findlay (15 months ago)
I have to admit for such an emblematic and important building, I was expecting a much more ornate Cathedral. Despite being somewhat underwhelmed by its interior, it’s still worth visiting. Make sure you visit the adjoining gardens afterwards for lovely views of the Rhône.

Ammar Ghaith (16 months ago)
It's nice Cathedral, it's free to access till 17.30h.

Rita Kao (17 months ago)
Just next to Palais des Papes. The golden sculpture is the famous of it.

michał sternik (2 years ago)
marvelous to be there

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Fagerjord

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