Dax Cathedral

Dax Cathedral Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Dax
Diocese of Dax
Region	Landes
Rite	Roman
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Cathedral
Status	Active
Location
Location	Dax, France
Geographic coordinates	43°42′30″N 1°3′11″W / 43.70833°N 1.05306°W / 43.70833; -1.05306
Architecture
Type	church
Style	Gothic, Romanesque
Groundbreaking	13th century
Completed	19th century

Dax Cathedral (

.

The

.

In 1833 the bishop's seat was officially transferred to Dax and to Dax Cathedral. Aire Cathedral remains as a co-cathedral.

Dax Cathedral is a national monument of France.^[1]

History

In the late 13th century, when the town of Dax was at the height of its prosperity, the bishops had a number of ecclesiastical buildings constructed, among which was a new cathedral on the site of an ancient Romanesque sanctuary which had become too cramped. This Gothic structure collapsed in 1646; all that remains of it is the magnificent Portal of the Apostles in the north transept: 12 metres high and 8 metres wide, this doorway contains a quantity of beautiful sculptures, fairly rare in the south of France, despite some mutilations and damage incurred during the passage of time.

Building

Apart from the portal, which was classed as a national monument of France in its own right in 1884, the present cathedral was built from 1694 onwards in a plain style of classical inspiration. The main façade and south elevation have a massive, almost austere, appearance. The north elevation however, which looks onto a small square in the historical centre of the town, does not lack charm, despite a certain rigidity.

The

. After its recent restoration this organ loft is considered one of the most beautiful in France.

The building also contains a number of paintings, among them "Jesus and His Disciples" by

(late 16th century).

References

External links

• (in French) History of the diocese and the cathedral Archived 2012-02-06 at the Wayback Machine
• (in French) Notre-Dame Cathedral at Structurae
• Location