Avignon Cathedral

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Cathedral of Our Lady of Doms
Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms d'Avignon
Avignon Cathedral
Religion
AffiliationRoman Catholic Church
DistrictArchdiocese of Avignon
RiteRoman
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusCathedral
Location
LocationAvignon, France
Geographic coordinates43°57′06″N 4°48′27″E / 43.95167°N 4.80750°E / 43.95167; 4.80750
Architecture
TypeChurch
StyleRomanesque, Gothic
Groundbreaking12th century
Completed1425
Official name: Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge
TypeCultural
Criteriai, ii, iv
Designated1995
Reference no.228
State Party France
Website
Official Website
Detail of a drawing by Étienne Martellange dating from the first quarter of the 17th century. The cathedral is at the top left, beyond the Palais des Papes.

Avignon Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms d'Avignon) is a Roman Catholic church located next to the Palais des Papes in Avignon, France. The cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Avignon.

The cathedral is a Romanesque building, constructed primarily in the second half of the 12th century.[1] The bell tower collapsed in 1405 and was rebuilt in 1425. In 1670–1672 the apse was rebuilt and extended.[2] The extension led to the destruction of the medieval cloister.[3]

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.[4] The most prominent feature of the cathedral is a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary atop the bell tower which was erected in 1859.[4] 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 edifice. It was moved in 1759, damaged during the Revolution, and restored to its original position in 1840.[5] The cathedral was listed as a Monument historique in 1840.[6] In 1995, the cathedral, along with the Palais des Papes and other historic buildings in the Avignon city center, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its outstanding architecture and its importance during the 14th and 15th centuries.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Girard 1958, p. 162.
  2. ^ Girard 1958, pp. 163, 166.
  3. ^ a b "Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b Girard 1958, p. 163.
  5. ^ Girard 1958, p. 165.
  6. ^ Base Mérimée: Cathédrale Notre-Dame-des-Doms, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)

Sources

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  • Girard, Joseph (1958). Évocation du Vieil Avignon (in French). Paris: Les Éditions de Minuit. OCLC 5391399.

Further reading

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