Rodez 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 ...

located in town of

Rodez Rodez (, , ; , ) is a small city and commune in the South of France, about 150 km northeast of Toulouse. It is the prefecture of the department of Aveyron, region of Occitania (formerly Midi-Pyrénées). Rodez is the seat of the communau ...

, in the department of

Aveyron Aveyron (; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Southern France. It was named after the river Aveyron (river), Aveyron. Its inhabitants are known as ''Aveyro ...

in the Occitanie region of Southern France. 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 a

national monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...

Cathédrale Notre-Dame and is the seat of the Bishopric of Rodez. The west front, of a military appearance and without a portal, formerly was part of the city wall of Rodez. Notable elements include a Flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance tower (17th century), and a Renaissance

rood screen The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, o ...

and choir stalls (17th century).

History

Rodez was Christianized in the 4th–5th century AD, and the first mention of a cathedral dates from the

Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from around the middle of the 5th century until Pepin the Short in 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the ...

period, in around 516, though little is known of its features. On 16 February 1276, the bell tower and roof of the choir of this early church collapsed. The construction of a new cathedral was begun, likely led by the Bishop Raymont de Calmont d'Olt, and master builder Jean Deschamps. The cathedral's design was influenced by

Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral, or the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption of Clermont-Ferrand (), is a Gothic architecture, Gothic cathedral and France, French Monument historique, national monument located in the city of Clermont-Ferrand ...

and Limoges Cathedral as well as by the cathedrals Ile-de-France, an influence visible in features such as the blind arcades of the triforium and the strong sense of verticality. The first four-part rib vaults of the choir were installed, giving it a height of thirty meters, divided into three levels. The first chapel on the north side was finished in 1338. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the work was slowed by the

Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...

and the

Hundred Years War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of England and France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy of Aquitaine and was triggered by a c ...

. Between 1366 and 1386 a new tower was constructed, at the northeast corner of the cathedral, crowned with a spire of wood covered with lead. However, the timbers of the tower burned and destroyed the upper levels. It remained unfinished for more than a century. In the 16th century, thanks to the efforts of Bishops Francois D'Estaing, who raised the funds, and Georges d'Armagnac, work resumed. The vaults of the nave were finally finished, and a new tower was constructed upon the two levels of the earlier tower. The new tower, the work of the master mason Antoine Salvanh, was built between 1501 and 1529. The upper portions of the completed tower incorporated both

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 ...

Gothic features and elements of the new French Renaissance architecture. Following the French Revolution, the cathedral was closed for worship and was used as a storage depot for gunpowder, before it was returned to the Church in the early 19th century. In 1792–98,

Pierre Méchain Pierre François André Méchain (; 16 August 1744 – 20 September 1804) was a French astronomer and surveyor who, with Charles Messier, was a major contributor to the early study of deep-sky objects and comets. Life Pierre Méchain was bo ...

and Jean-Baptiste Delambre used Rodez Cathedral as the central surveying point for their calculation of the circumference of the earth. This was used in the definition of the

metre The metre (or meter in US spelling; symbol: m) is the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). Since 2019, the metre has been defined as the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of of ...

(see

History of the metre During the French Revolution, the traditional units of measure were to be replaced by consistent measures based on natural phenomena. As a base unit of length, scientists had favoured the seconds pendulum (a pendulum with a half-period of ...

Plans

File:Cathédrale de Rodez - élévation 1897 planche lithographiée n°68 - Archives nationales.jpg, Elevation (1897) File:Cathédrale de Rodez - élévation 1897 planche lithographiée n°67 - Archives nationales.jpg, Elevation (1897 lithograph - National Archives) File:Cathédrale de Rodez - coupe au niveau du clocher 1897 planche lithographiée n°69 - Archives nationales.jpg, Cutaway of interior of cathedral and tower File:Cathédrale de Rodez - plan au-dessus du dallage 1897 planche lithographiée n°71 - Archives nationales.jpg, Interior plan (1897 lithograph)

Exterior

File:France Occitanie 12 Rodez Cathedrale 02.jpg, Cathedral viewed from the northwest, with north bell tower at left File:Rodez - Cathédrale Notre-Dame (11-2015) IMG 1289.JPG, East end, or Chevet, with radiating chapels and flying buttresses The construction of the church began in about 1277, and commenced with the chevet, at the east end, flanked by an imposing square tower on the north side, which was built up only two levels. Construction of the unfinished work resumed in the 16th century when Francois d'Estaing completed the north tower with a Flamboyant bell tower 87 meters high. The west front, with its own flamboyant decoration, was completed by Georges d'Armagnac between 1500 and 1562.

West Front

File:Cathedral of Our Lady of Rodez 59.jpg, Flamboyant rose window of the west front (1500-1562) File:Rodez - Cathédrale Notre-Dame -02.JPG, Detail of the upper west front, with a Renaissance fronton (1500-1562) The lower portion of the west front at Rodez, the traditional entrance to Gothic cathedrals, is flat and plain, with narrow slit windows for defense and no large portal. It originally extended outside the city wall, and large doors or windows were avoided to prevent access by the attackers to the city. The lower are made of reddish sandstone, in the Gothic style of northern France. The upper levels of the west front were constructed between 1500 and 1562 by Bishop Georges d'Armagnac. The upper central vessel of the nave has a large rose window, while the two unfinished towers on either side are decorated with engaged columns. Above the rose window is a fronton in the new Renaissance style, the work of Jean Salvanh."Guide du Patrimoine en France", p. 440

Tower

File:Cathedral Notre-Dame of Rodez 04.jpg, The flamboyant tower (16th century) on its earlier Gothic base File:Cathedral of Our Lady in Rodez 11.jpg, The flamboyant upper tower (16th century) The highly

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 ...

north bell tower, 87 meters high, is placed on the north side of the tower. It was commissioned by Bishop Francois D'Estaing and completed in `1526 by master builder Antoine Salvanh. The tower is topped by a lantern which in turn is crowned by a statue of the Virgin Mary surrounded by four angels.

Bells

Rodez Cathedral has 12 bells in total in the tower. 9 of which are placed inside the bell tower in a wooden belfry and named after a Saint. They were cast by Morel in 1851 and installed in the bell tower in 1853 , forming a C major scale. The largest bell or bourdon is equipped with a system allowing to be rung by foot. A 10th bell is located at the top of the bell tower, imprisoned in a pinnacle located on the summit terrace of the bell tower, it was cast in 1523, which was the clock bell (silent brass today). An 11th bell is located almost directly above the transept at the level of the roof of the church, Marie (called "the Mandarelle") was formerly used to ring the elevation. Finally, a 12th silent bell is also located in a window of the southwest tower, installed in 1847, still equipped with its wheel and wooden yoke. The ringing is sometimes incomplete due to the haphazard handling of the ringing control box.

The transept and portals

File:Rodez - Cathédrale Notre-Dame -04.JPG, Facade and portal of the north transept File:Rodez - Cathédrale Notre-Dame -05.JPG, Facade and portal of the south transept File:Cathedral of Our Lady of Rodez 12.jpg, Rose window on the south transept File:Rodez 005.JPG, Detail of the north transept portal, without sculpture Since the west front of the cathedral extended just outside the city walls, it did not have the traditional large portal on the west front. Instead, the entrances to the cathedral were on the north and south sides. In the sixteen century, A transept was constructed at the meeting point between the nave and choir, which reached out to the east and west and had very elaborate portals, topped by filled with sculpture, and further decorated with gables and pinnacles. Flamboyant rose windows were placed over the portals on the north and south transept. Much of the sculpture was smashed during the French Revolution, but other elements survived and were restored.

Interior

Nave and Choir

File:Rodez - cathédrale (4).jpg, The nave and choir, looking east to the apse File:Rodez,cathédrale,intérieur109,voute déambulatoire depuis chapelle axiale1.jpg, Vaults of the disambulatory, at the east end The nave and choir of the church are 101.57 meters long, 36.89 meters wide at the transept, and 30 meters high in the nave. The nave and choir are constructed with three levels, following the design of Ile-de-France cathedrals; massive pillars on the ground floor; a narrow triforium or passage above; and upper walls filled with windows. Slender columns run up the walls from the arcade pillars to support the four-part rib vaults.

Chapels

File:Rodez,cathédrale,intérieur31,chapelle Réconciliation,décor Renaissance7.jpg, Renaissance decoration (16th c.) installed in the Chapel of Reconciliation. The cathedral has a group of radiating chapels within the apse, at the east end, accessed by a semicircular passage or deambulatory. It also has a group of chapels placed alongside the nave. The Chapel of Reconciliation has Renaissance decoration preserved from other parts of the buildings.

Art and Decoration

File:Rodez,cathédrale,intérieur33,chapelle Ste Anne,bas-relief Mise au Tombeau.jpg, Relief sculpture from retable "Placement of Christ in the Tomb" (Chapel of St. Anne, (16th c.) File:Mise au tombeau cathédrale de Rodez.jpg, Scene on the Altar piece, "Placement of Christ in the Tomb" (16th c.) File:Rodez-Cathédrale Notre Dame-Clôture-20140622.jpg, The

, in the south transept (15th c.) File:Plafond d'une chapelle de la cathédrale.jpg, Fresco of Christ in his multiple roles on the ceiling of the apse axial chapel (14th c.) File:Rodez - Cathédrale Notre-Dame - Peintures murales -05.JPG, Frescoes depicting scenes of the life of

Saint Eligius Eligius (; 11 June 588 – 1 December 660), venerated as Saint Eligius, was a Frankish goldsmith, courtier, and bishop who was chief counsellor to Dagobert I and later Bishop of Noyon–Tournai. His deeds were recorded in ''Vita Sancti Eligii' ...

(15th c.) File:Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rodez - chapelle de l'Annonciation - retable 2014-06-22.jpg, Retable of the

Annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...

File:Rodez,cathédrale,intérieur106,stalles5.jpg, The carved choir stalls (15th c.) File:Rodez (12) fond de la cathédrale 6.jpg, A misercordia on the back of a choir stall (15th c.) File:Rodez,cathédrale,intérieur113,dais épiscopal1.jpg, Carved decoration in the interior File:Rodez - Cathédrale Notre-Dame - Peintures murales -04.JPG, Murals in the Chapel of Saint Catherine: St. Christopher carrying the infant Jesus on his back Rodez Cathedral is one of the few Gothic churches that retains a jubé or

, placed between the choir and the nave. Most French rood screens were removed during the Renaissance, in response to a Vatican change in church doctrine intended to make the interior of churches more open and accessible to lay parishioners. The rood screen was installed in 1478, under Bishop Bertrandt de Chalencon. In the 19th century, the choir screen lost most of its elaborate sculpture but otherwise was moved intact to its present location in the north transept. The choir stalls were also installed in 1478, and display a rich assortment of carved decorations, particularly on the misercordiae, the folding seats against which the clergy could find support when they were required to stand for long periods of time. They are decorated with carved Biblical figures and scenes.

Stained glass

File:Rodez,cathédrale,intérieur24,chapelle St Joseph,vitraux 14 &15e s.jpg, Window integrating glass from 14th and 15th century, St. Joseph's Chapel File:Cathedral of Our Lady of Rodez 14.jpg, Rose window of the west front (16th c.) (multiple click to see detail) File:Rodez - Cathédrale Notre-Dame - Vitrail -03.JPG, 19th century window File:Rodez-Cathédrale Notre-Dame-Chapelle Saint Raphaël-L'eau-20140622.jpg, Contemporary window - "The Creation of the Elements - Water" The cathedral has a mixture of early windows, 19th-century windows, and a series of modern windows depicting, among others, the subjects, the creation of the Elements. In some windows, early glass has been combined with more modern settings.

The great organ

File:Cathedral of Our Lady of Rodez 48.jpg File:Rodez,cathédrale,orgue14.jpg File:Rodez,cathédrale,orgue10.jpg The great organ is one of the famous features of the cathedral. The buffet was constructed in 1628 by Raymond Guimond de Périgueux to house an organ built by Vernohlles de Poitiers. The instrument was rebuilt in 1676 by Jean de Joyeux. It was reconstructed again in 1902 by Charles Anneessens, then rebuilt once again in 1986 par Jean-Georges & Yves Koenig to return it to its earlier form under Jean de Joyeux Joyeuse en 1986. Both the buffet and the instrument are protected in the list of French historic monuments.

References

Bibliography

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External links

* .
La Cathédrale Notre-Dame et l'orgue, Rodez (France) - musiqueorguequebec.ca

Visite de la Cathédrale - Paroisse Notre Dame de l'Assomption - Rodez - Aveyron (12)
{{Coord, 44, 21, 3, N, 2, 34, 26, E, type:landmark_region:FR, display=title Roman Catholic cathedrals in France Fortified church buildings in France Churches in Aveyron Basilica churches in France Gothic architecture in France Monuments historiques of Aveyron