It’s one of the most distinctive cathedrals I have ever been in, which is saying a lot. It is visible from most parts of the city and would have been the tallest structure in Saintes had its spire been completed. It’s not until you get up close and personal with it that you see its intricate flying buttresses and collection of gargoyles.
One of the things that makes this cathedral unique is its wooden ceilings, a cost savings measure during one of its many rebuilds. The Gothic vaulting was retained in the aisles and side chapels, most of which date to the 13th-15th centuries.
The other thing that makes it unique is that it takes seriously its role as both a house of worship and a museum. There are informational placards along the outer aisle which explain its history, thus keeping its heritage alive by sharing it with people outside of its congregation.
The windows are copies of the medieval originals, in addition to at least one that seemed more modern due to its color and theme. I looked down to catch light from the center window cascading onto the stone floor, and took a few moments to stand in its ‘color bath.’
This cathedral is thought to have been founded in the 5th century by St. Vivien, one of Saintes’ first bishops, and is referenced in historical records in 596. It was rebuilt in the 6th century by St. Pallais, who enlarged it and equipped it with 13 altars. It was destroyed during the Norman Invasion in the 9th century. It was ravaged by fire in the 11th century and rebuilt and reconsecrated during the following century, although only a portion of that church exists today.
The next iteration came after the 100 Years War, financed over the next 75 years by those seeking indulgences from the Church. The Romanesque church was rebuilt in the “Gothic Flamboyant” style of the 14th century, with flying buttresses supporting the overly tall walls. The Wars of Religion brought work to a halt in 1560, and the central nave was destroyed by the Huguenots in 1568. Reconstruction began again in 1582 but with limited resources, so the ceilings were lowered and made from wood, which eliminated the need for vaulting and buttress support, although the aisles and some of the chapels maintained their Gothic vaults. Work was not completed until the mid-17th century. I believe either funding or interest ran out for the intended steeple. It is instead capped with a dome and nicknamed “the unfinished cathedral.”
Website: https://religiana.com/saintes-cathedral-0
Address: Place Saint-Pierre, 17100 Saintes / Phone: 05 46 74 23 82
Hours: 9:30 AM – 7 PM daily.
Admission: Free, but please consider making a donation. This is an active church, please be respectful in both dress and demeanor.
Additional photos are available at Daveno Travels.
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Heather Daveno hails from Seattle, Washington, where she works as an office manager by day and a self taught textile artisan by night. In her spare time she is a “hobby historian” and is currently researching the female side of her family history for a book she plans to write, titled: “The Matriarch Diaries.”
You can see her current textile projects at August Phoenix Mercantile and her travels at Daveno Travels.