Narbonne Cathedral
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Cathedral of Saints Justus and Pastor of Narbonne Cathédrale Saint-Just-et-Saint-Pasteur de Narbonne (in French) | |
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Roman Catholic Church | |
Province | Diocese of Carcassonne-Narbonne |
Rite | Roman |
Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Cathedral |
Location | |
Location | Narbonne, Aude, France |
Geographic coordinates | 43°11′5″N 3°0′13″E / 43.18472°N 3.00361°E |
Architecture | |
Type | church |
Style | Gothic |
Groundbreaking | 13th century |
Narbonne Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Just-et-Saint-Pasteur de Narbonne) is a
It was the seat of the
The building, begun in 1272, is noted for being unfinished. [2]
History
The cathedral is situated in the heart of the present city of Narbonne, but in the Middle Ages was located by the city wall. This placement was due to a long history of the site as a place of worship. In 313, just after the
Ruined by a fire in 441, it took 37 days to demolish those parts of the basilica that had escaped destruction. Then a Latin basilica was constructed by Bishop Rusticus, who was encouraged in his work by the Gaulish prefect, Marcellus. The basilica was finished on November 29, 445. Originally dedicated to Saint
A
The idea to build a Gothic cathedral was a political decision made in 1268 by Pope Clement IV, the former archbishop of Narbonne. He decided that it would be a monument made in the magnificent style of the Kingdom of France. The construction of the new cathedral was supposed to begin in 1264, but did not actually start until 1272. The first stone of the current cathedral was laid by Archbishop Maruin on April 13, 1272, in the foundation of the current Chapel of the Sacred Heart.
The choir was finished in 1332, but the rest of the building was never completed, as the result of many factors including sudden changes in the economic status of Narbonne, its unusual size and geographical location (to complete it would have meant demolishing the city wall) and financial constraints.
References
- ^ GCatholic.org: Basilicas in France
- ^ Trynoski, Dani (2017-06-01). "The Weird, the Wonderful, and the Macabre in the Cathedral of Narbonne". Medievalists.net. Retrieved 2022-04-12.