Carcassonne Cathedral, Carcassonne, France

Carcassonne Cathedral was built in the 13th century as a parish church, dedicated to Saint Michael. Following war damage in the 14th century it was rebuilt as a fortified church. In 1803 St. Michael's was elevated to cathedral status, replacing the earlier cathedral dedicated to Saints Nazarius and Celsus, now the Basilica of St. Nazaire and St. Celse.

The cathedral plan is characterised by its relative simplicity. It forms a single nave with a 20 metre high vault, lined with several lateral chapels. The chior screen has retained its 14th century stained glass. The sober façade has a single decorative feature in the form of a large rosette 8 meters in diameter, and the adjoining bell tower is relatively massive.

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User Reviews

Marie Holm, PhD (9 days ago)
Impressive cathedral, with looming ambiance and sparkles of light shining through the stained glass. Only downside for the moment is the maintenance work around it, but once done the paths will be smooth and such.

Nancy Fink (2 years ago)
Beautiful Romanesque cathedral with low door. Painting of walls and columns a la Middle Ages is superb. Early Gothic additions near altar shows changes as church got bigger.

Linda Lapper (2 years ago)
Wonderful place. Amazing stained glass windows. All nations meet here!

Resa Brad (2 years ago)
Interesting place. Loved the small streets and the view

Luke Miller (2 years ago)
A highlight of my walk through the castle, beautiful art work and the stained glass is some of the most grandiose I've ever encountered.

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The Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc is a Baroque monument built in 1716–1754 in honour of God. The main purpose was a spectacular celebration of Catholic Church and faith, partly caused by feeling of gratitude for ending a plague, which struck Moravia between 1713 and 1715. The column was also understood to be an expression of local patriotism, since all artists and master craftsmen working on this monument were Olomouc citizens, and almost all depicted saints were connected with the city of Olomouc in some way. The column is the biggest Baroque sculptural group in the Czech Republic. In 2000 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.

The column is dominated by gilded copper sculptures of the Holy Trinity accompanied by the Archangel Gabriel on the top and the Assumption of the Virgin beneath it.

The base of the column, in three levels, is surrounded by 18 more stone sculptures of saints and 14 reliefs in elaborate cartouches. At the uppermost stage are saints connected with Jesus’ earth life – his mother’s parents St. Anne and St. Joachim, his foster-father St. Joseph, and St. John the Baptist, who was preparing his coming – who are accompanied by St. Lawrence and St. Jerome, saints to whom the chapel in the Olomouc town hall was dedicated. Three reliefs represent the Three theological virtues Faith, Hope, and Love.

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