Vannes Cathedral () is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

dedicated to

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

Vannes Vannes (; , , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, French department of Morbihan, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, northwestern mainland France. It was founded over 2,000 years ago. History Celtic ...

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

is the seat of the

Bishop of Vannes The Diocese of Vannes (Latin: ''Dioecesis Venetensis''; French language, French: ''Diocèse de Vannes'') is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in France. It was established in the 5th century. The seat of the bishop is Vannes Cathedra ...

. The present Gothic church was erected on the site of the former Romanesque cathedral. Its construction lasted from the 15th to the 19th centuries; if the length of the existence of the 13th century Romanesque

bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...

is included, a total of seven centuries of construction. The cathedral was declared a

basilica minor Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural ...

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

on 5 June 1870.Vannes Cathedral website: basilica

History

The first building was erected around 1020 in Romanesque style. Built out of

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

and continuously modified by adding new structures, the cathedral is an extremely composite building. The rebuilding in Gothic style dates mainly from the 15th and 16th centuries. In this period the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

and the ornate gateway at the northern end of the north transept – whose twelve niches, according to Breton custom, were supposed to accommodate the

Apostles An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary. The word is derived from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", itself derived from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to se ...

– were built high. The northern tower is the main remnant of the former Romanesque building, while the

vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosur ...

s and the

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

were built between 1771 and 1774.

Architecture

Dimensions

The horizontal dimensions of the building can be derived from the

ground plan In architecture and building engineering, a floor plan is a technical drawing to scale, showing a view from above, of the relationships between rooms, spaces, traffic patterns, and other physical features at one level of a structure. Dimensio ...

. (Data on the heights are not available for the moment). The building is one of the largest on the French Atlantic coast.

Exterior

The

façade A façade or facade (; ) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loanword from the French language, French (), which means "frontage" or "face". In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important asp ...

was carved in 1857 in a neo-Gothic style. Outside, in front of the central pillar of the large gate, stands a statue of the Dominican friar St. Vincent Ferrer, from

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

. His activities in the 15th century greatly influenced

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

in Vannes. The northern façade opens onto the garden of the

cloister A cloister (from Latin , "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open Arcade (architecture), arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle (architecture), quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cat ...

(ruins from the 16th century) and the ''Rue des chanoines'' ("Street of the Canons") through the beautiful portal at the top of the north

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

, built in a

Flamboyant Flamboyant () is a lavishly-decorated style of Gothic architecture that appeared in France and Spain in the 15th century, and lasted until the mid-sixteenth century and the beginning of the Renaissance.Encyclopedia Britannica, "Flamboyant style ...

late Gothic style (1514), and decorated with twelve niches designed to house statues of the twelve apostles. The cross, visible close to the northern façade, dates back to the 15th century and was brought from the

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, dead people are burial, buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ...

Interior

During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, the floor of the cathedral had been covered by

tombstone A gravestone or tombstone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. A marker set at the head of the grave may be called a headstone. An especially old or elaborate stone slab may be called a funeral stele, stela, or slab. The us ...

s. For hygienic reasons, only the tradition of burying the

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

s in their episcopal church has been preserved. However, some tombstones have been returned and can be seen today. The cathedral has only retained

tomb A tomb ( ''tumbos'') or sepulchre () is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called '' immurement'', alth ...

s dating back to the 17th century. Two bishops' tombs can be found in the

crypt A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...

under the choir. The building contains the following features: * ''Chapel of the Ancient Baptismal Fonts'' (pos. 1 ground plan): this chapel is too small for actual

baptizing Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three t ...

to take place, but carries the spirit of baptism. The feeling is further enhanced by the

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

window, displaying motifs of baptism. * ''St. Anne's Chapel'' (pos. 2):

Saint Anne According to apocrypha, as well as Christianity, Christian and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the wife of Joachim and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the Bible's Gosp ...

is the patron saint of Brittany. Here, as in

Nantes Cathedral Nantes Cathedral, or the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul of Nantes (), is a Roman Catholic Gothic cathedral located in Nantes, Pays de la Loire, France. Construction began in 1434, on the site of a Romanesque cathedral, and took 457 years ...

, she enjoys special attention, especially with her statue. The stained glass window shows the

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

Sainte-Anne-d'Auray Sainte-Anne-d'Auray (; ) is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France. It is the third most popular pilgrimage site in France, after Lourdes and Lisieux. History Sainte-Anne-d'Auray is a village in the Diocese ...

, other important events of her life, and one of the

Blessed Virgin Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

. * ''Chapel of the Rosary of the Saints Hearts'' (pos. 3): the stained glass window is one of the first showing the Sacred Heart of Paray. It is related to the window above the choir. * ''Chapel of the Blessed Pierre René Roque'' (pos. 4): Blessed Pierre René Roque (1758-1796

was a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

, born in Vannes, known for his strong devotion to religion. He was condemned to death and

guillotine A guillotine ( ) is an apparatus designed for effectively carrying out executions by Decapitation, beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secur ...

d for bringing communion to a dying man; he was beatified in 1934. He is buried under the altar. Bretagne Morbihan Vannes7 tango7174

* ''St. Gwenaël's Chapel'', south entrance (pos. 5): Saint Gwenaël

took part in the

evangelization Evangelism, or witnessing, is the act of sharing the Christian gospel, the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is typically done with the intention of converting others to Christianity. Evangelism can take several forms, such as persona ...

of the West Diocese in the 6th century. In the stained glass window he is represented in the company of Blessed

Françoise d'Amboise Françoise d'Amboise, O.Carm (9 May 1427 – 4 November 1485) was a French Carmelite nun. Biography D'Amboise was born in the castle of Thouars. She was the daughter of the rich noble Louis d'Amboise, prince of Talmont and Viscount of Thou ...

duchess of Brittany This is a list of rulers of Brittany. In different epochs the rulers of Brittany were kings, princes, and dukes. The Breton ruler was sometimes elected, sometimes attained the position by conquest or intrigue, or by hereditary right. Hereditary ...

and the founder of the first

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

of the

Carmelites The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (; abbreviated OCarm), known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a mendicant order in the Catholic Church for both men and women. Histo ...

in Vannes. * ''The Liturgical Choir'': the three Fossati altars date back to the 18th century. The statues of Saints Peter and

Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...

are placed above the two small altars. * ''Our Lady of Lourdes' Chapel'', south

(pos. 6): this is the place of the old door of the

Dukes of Brittany This is a list of rulers of Brittany. In different epochs the rulers of Brittany were kings, princes, and dukes. The Breton ruler was sometimes elected, sometimes attained the position by conquest or intrigue, or by hereditary right. Hereditary ...

. The stained glass window shows the

First Communion First Communion is a ceremony in some Christian traditions during which a person of the church first receives the Eucharist. It is most common in many parts of the Latin tradition of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and Anglican Communion (ot ...

of Françoise d'Amboise. Above the window is Saint Peter, to the left a painting of the ascent of

Saint Petronilla Petronilla (Aurelia Petronilla) is an early Christian saint. She is venerated as a virgin by the Catholic Church. She died in Rome at the end of the 1st century, or possibly in the 3rd century. Identity Petronilla was traditionally identified ...

br>
to Heaven. Before the French Revolution, this was the site of the tomb of St. Gwenaël. To the right of the altar Mme. Francheville is buried, a local mystic. * ''Ambulatory'' (pos. 7): the

ambulatory The ambulatory ( 'walking place') is the covered passage around a cloister or the processional way around the east end of a cathedral or large church and behind the high altar. The first ambulatory was in France in the 11th century but by the 13t ...

is very large to accommodate the

pilgrim The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often vocalize it as ...

s that used to pray at the tomb of St. Vincent Ferrer in the Middle Ages. A marble tablet indicates the affiliation of the cathedral to

St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (), or simply St. Peter's Basilica (; ), is a church of the Italian High Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the city of Rome, Italy. It was initiall ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. The cathedral in Vannes also carries the title of Basilica. * ''The Treasury'' (pos. 8): this room was constructed in about 1782 in a part of the Romanesque choir. The walls are covered with beautiful woodwork and panelling. The shelves contain books on

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

and religious history. The most remarkable item is a box made of wood and covered with painted

parchment Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared Tanning (leather), untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves and goats. It has been used as a writing medium in West Asia and Europe for more than two millennia. By AD 400 ...

of southern origin. It dates back to the 12th century and is decorated with scenes of daily life. Among the other notable objects of the treasury are a gold cross and two ivory sticks. VannesStAnn

* ''Portal of the Canons'', north transept (pos. 13): St. Vincent Ferrer's tomb was located here until 1956. There is still a stained glass window depicting him. There are also two paintings, one by Gosse (1945) and one by Mauzaise (1831). The former shows the death of the saint and the latter depicts him preaching to

infidel An infidel (literally "unfaithful") is a person who is accused of disbelief in the central tenets of one's own religion, such as members of another religion, or irreligious people. Infidel is an ecclesiastical term in Christianity around which th ...

s. This is the place where baptism is currently celebrated. * ''Our Lady of Mercy Chapel'' (pos. 14): here there is a painting of the

Virgin and child In Christian art, a Madonna () is a religious depiction of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a singular form or sometimes accompanied by the Child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word ...

by Delaval (1836). There is also a stained glass window showing Saint Yves. He enjoys a special position in all Breton churches, as a patron saint of the Breton Rectors, and also as the main defender of the independence of the Breton churches against the royal power. * ''St. Vincent Ferrer's Chapel'' (pos. 15): this was formerly the chapel of the Holy Sacrament, but since 1956 it has housed the

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

s of Saint Vincent Ferrer, including his

skull The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate. In the human, the skull comprises two prominent ...

. * ''St. Anthony's Chapel'', north entrance (pos. 16): here there is a painting by Vincent from 1830 depicting

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

on the Cross, Saint John, the Holy Virgin and Saint

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...

. * ''Chapel of St. Mériadec and St. Patern'' (pos. 18): the stained glass window here represents Saint Meriadecbr>
and

Saint Patern Padarn (; ; ; ? – 550 AD) was an early 6th century British Christian abbot-bishop who founded Saint Padarn's Church in Ceredigion, Wales. He appears to be the same individual as the first bishop of Braga and Saint Paternus of Avranches in Nor ...

, the first

. There are also paintings, one by Rivoulon from 1846, "Litanies of the Holy Virgin", and one by Destouches from 1819 of the

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions involving the same person or deity returning to another body. The disappearance of a body is anothe ...

of Saint

Lazarus Lazarus may refer to: People *Lazarus (name), a surname and a given name * Lazarus of Bethany, a Biblical figure described as being raised from the dead by Jesus * Lazarus, a Biblical figure from the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus * Lazar ...

. * ''Romanesque tower'' (pos. 19): this is the only structure left from the Romanesque cathedral. It accommodates the four bells of the church. Positions 9, 10, 11, 13 and 17 are the Blessed Sacrament Chapel (closed to visitors), the Chapel of Our Lady ''de Pitié'', the Chapel in the

apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...

, the

Calvary Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified. Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...

and the Chapel of St. Louis respectively.

In literature

In the novels of

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas , was a French novelist and playwright. His works have been translated into many languages and he is one of the mos ...

, the

musketeer A musketeer ( ) was a type of soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern warfare, particularly in Europe, as they normally comprised the majority of their infantry. The musketeer was a precursor to the rifl ...

Aramis René d'Herblay, alias Aramis, is a fictional character in the novels ''The Three Musketeers'' (1844), '' Twenty Years After'' (1845), and '' The Vicomte de Bragelonne'' (1847–1850) by Alexandre Dumas, père. He and the other two musketeers, ...

appears at one point as Bishop of Vannes and logically must have served in this very cathedral.

Burials

Isabella of Scotland, Duchess of Brittany Isabella Stewart (autumn of 1426 – 13 October 1494/5 March 1499), was a Scottish princess who became Duchess of Brittany by marriage to Francis I of Brittany. Also known as Isabel, she was the second daughter of James I of Scotland and J ...

* St.

Vincent Ferrer Vincent Ferrer, Dominican Order, OP ( ; ; ; ; ; ; 23 January 1350 – 5 April 1419) was a Kingdom of Valencia, Valencian Dominican Order, Dominican friar who gained acclaim as a preacher, missionary and logician. After supporting Antipope Benedic ...

Gallery

File:Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Vannes-2253.jpg Image:Vannes - Centre ville.jpg Image:Cathedrale vannes.jpg File:Vannes Saint-Vincent 0708.jpg File:Bretagne Morbihan Vannes5 tango7174.jpg File:Bretagne Morbihan Vannes6 tango7174.jpg File:Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Vannes (2).JPG File:Orgue de tribune de la cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Vannes-41089.jpg File:Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Vannes (5).JPG

References

External links

Monum.fr
*

Structurae: images only
{{Authority control Roman Catholic cathedrals in France Medieval French architecture Roman Catholic churches completed in 1774 Basilica churches in France Gothic architecture in France Churches in Morbihan Vannes Monuments historiques of Morbihan 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in France