Rodez Cathedral, Rodez, France - SpottingHistory.com

Rodez Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rodez) is a national monument and is the seat of the Bishopric of Rodez. The closed west front once formed part of the city wall of Rodez.

Rodez was Christianized in the 4th-5th century AD, and the first mention of a cathedral dates from around 516. This structure was rebuilt c. 1000; almost nothing remains of it after the decision to rebuild it from scratch in 1276.

The works were halted for many years by the Black Death and the Hundred Years War, and were restarted only in the early 15th century with the completion of the choir and its vault, as well as the transept and of the first sectors of the nave. After the fire of 1510, bishop François d'Estaing had it rebuilt in 1513-1526 under the direction of Antoine Salvan with a new majestic bell tower. The cathedral was completed around 1531.

In 1792–98, Pierre Méchain and Jean-Baptiste Delambre used Rodez Cathedral as the central surveying point for their calculation of the circumference of the earth. This was used in the definition of the metre.

Despite the long construction process, the cathedral is characterized by a remarkable unity of style, which is mostly the Gothic one imported by architect Jean Deschamps into the Midi from northern France.

The cathedral is constructed of red sandstone. It has a severe façade, flanked by two sturdy towers, which betray its defensive function: the west front once formed part of the city walls of Rodez. The belltower, standing at 87 m, is surmounted by a lantern carrying the statue of the Virgin with a choir of four angels.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Roland Salvato (2 years ago)
This cathedral is unique in two ways: it includes multiple architectural styles which reflect the wartime epochs and the character of a city divided between Huguenot s and Catholics during one of France's religious wars.

Nancy Fink (2 years ago)
Beautiful and not to be missed in Albi

Ady (3 years ago)
Nice place

Eric Delamere (3 years ago)
We had a guided tour of the main points of this cathedral, which whilst we are not really churchy people we found it really interesting particularly some of the modern stained glass windows. What was really amazing was the fact that there were no entrance guards with donation boxes, no admission fee and no exit via the gift shop, which seems to be so prevalent these days. So basically you could wander and absorb the atmosphere with no external pressure. A good visit and recommended.

Peter Horsam (4 years ago)
A powerful building, the symbol of Rodez. Purists will love the sturdy Romanesque (we'd call it Norman) structure and the very creative Gothic and later embellishments. Still a vibrant place, the modern stained glass windows are very interesting. Keep in mind, it's not a theme park, it's a place of worship. With the fabulous food of the Aveyron, this place and the Musees Soulages and Fenaille, Rodez is a great place to spend a few days.

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