Bordeaux Cathedral facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Bordeaux Cathedral Cathédrale-Primatiale Saint-André de Bordeaux
The north front of the cathedral
Religion
Affiliation	Catholic Church
District	Archdiocese of Bordeaux
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Cathedral
Location
Location	Bordeaux, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Architecture
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Gothic, Romanesque
Materials
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Part of Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
Criteria	Cultural: (ii), (iv), (vi)
Inscription	1998 (22nd Session)

Bordeaux Cathedral, officially known as the Primatial Cathedral of St Andrew of Bordeaux (French: Cathédrale-Primatiale Saint-André de Bordeaux), is a large Catholic church in Bordeaux, France. It is dedicated to Saint Andrew and serves as the main church for the Archbishop of Bordeaux.

In 1998, UNESCO recognized the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France as a World Heritage Site. This important historical route includes three major churches in Bordeaux: the Basilica of St Severinus, the Basilica of St Michael, and the Cathedral of St Andrew.

History of Bordeaux Cathedral

Early Beginnings: Carolingian and Romanesque Periods

A Romanesque stone carving from the old cathedral.

The first mention of a church dedicated to Saint-André in Bordeaux dates back to 814, during the Carolingian period. This early church was likely part of a group of churches within the old Roman fortified town. It became more officially known in 1096 when Pope Urban II formally consecrated it.

During the 11th and 12th centuries, the Romanesque church competed with the nearby Saint Severinus church. Both wanted to attract pilgrims traveling on the Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Saint Severinus had important relics, like the remains of Saint James's companions. However, Saint André slowly became the most important church in the Aquitaine region. It began reporting directly to Rome, instead of through the Archbishop of Bourges Cathedral.

In 1137, a very important event happened here: the 13-year-old Eleanor of Aquitaine married the future Louis VII of France. A few months later, she became the Queen of France. After their divorce, she married Henry II in 1152, becoming Queen of England and mother to famous kings like Richard the Lionheart and King John of England.

The Romanesque church was started before 1170. It was built on top of the older Carolingian church. However, in the early 13th century, builders decided to switch to the newer Gothic style. The old church was slowly taken down, and today, only a wall from the Romanesque nave remains.

Building the Gothic Cathedral (14th–15th centuries)

Map of Bordeaux in the 14th century. The cathedral is at the top left center.

The change from Romanesque to French Gothic architecture happened while Aquitaine and Bordeaux were under English control. The archbishop of Bordeaux, Bertrand de Goth, helped a lot. From 1305 to 1314, he was Pope Clement IV. He sent many gifts and funds to the new cathedral.

The choir of the new cathedral was still being built in 1320. Construction of the nave (the main part where people sit) was slowed down by the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) between England and France. The nave's design was made smaller, from three aisles to just one. Work mostly continued on the decorations.

The separate bell tower, called the Pey-Berland Tower, began construction in 1440. It wasn't finished until 1500. After an earthquake in 1427, flying buttresses were added to the outside of the nave. These supports helped strengthen the walls.

Changes Through the Centuries (16th–18th centuries)

The wedding of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria in 1615.

In the 16th century, Renaissance decorations were added to the Gothic building. This included a beautiful rood screen between the choir and the nave. It was removed in 1806, but parts of it can now be seen on the organ's platform.

A royal wedding took place in the cathedral in 1615. Louis XIII married Anne of Austria, the daughter of the King of Spain. This marriage helped create an alliance between Spain, Austria, and France. It also led to the birth of Louis XIV of France in 1638.

During the French Revolution (late 1700s), much of the cathedral's furniture and decorations were removed or destroyed. Some outdoor sculptures were saved because they were hidden by nearby buildings. In 1793, the building was taken over by the government. It was used as a storage barn for horse feed. The nave was even used for political meetings. The tower was almost destroyed. Most of the furniture was gone when the building was finally returned to the church in 1798.

Restoration in the 19th and 20th Centuries

The cathedral in 1865, as old buildings were removed from its north side.

Long periods of renovation and rebuilding began in 1803 and continued throughout the 19th century. Paul Abadie, a famous architect who designed the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Paris, led many of these projects. He was a student of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, another well-known restorer of old buildings.

In 1866, buildings in front of the north side of the nave were removed. This made that part of the cathedral more visible. Abadie wanted to build new, larger sacristies (rooms where priests prepare for services). However, a local archaeologist, Leo Drouyn, disagreed. Drouyn believed Abadie's changes were based more on his own ideas of Gothic style than on the original building's history. Drouyn wanted a more exact recreation of the medieval Bordeaux style. In the end, Abadie's plans were mostly followed.

Restoration continued into the 20th century. Parts of the nave's ceiling were strengthened between 1907 and 1909. The roofs of the walking areas and chapels were finished in 1990. In 1997–98, the north entrance walls were cleaned using lasers to remove centuries of dirt.

Outside the Cathedral

North Transept and Royal Portal

North side and the north portal
The north portal
Stone carvings (tympanum and voussoirs) of the royal portal (1200–1250).

The north entrance of the cathedral, which leads into the north transept, is called the portal of spires. It was once the most important entrance. It was built around 1325–1350. The two spires on its towers have been rebuilt several times.

The north side of the cathedral's nave has very deep foundations, reaching six meters underground. Even so, these walls have had stability problems over the years. Extra flying buttresses were added to support them. The largest one, called the Gramont buttress, was started in 1531. It looks like a Gothic buttress but has rich Renaissance decorations. These include small angels and carvings describing the Biblical Day of Judgement.

Another important part of the north front is the royal portal. This doorway opened into the transept and choir. It was the main entrance until the north portal opened in the 1320s. The sculptures on the royal portal's tympanum (the carved area above the door) were made between 1200 and 1250. They are considered some of the oldest and best in the cathedral. They were saved during the Revolution because the portal was hidden by other buildings.

South Transept and South Side

Surviving sculpture in south voussoirs
South front and towers, with the cathedral bells
South rose window
Surviving sculpture of the south voussoirs
Surviving sculpture in south voussoirs (14th century)

The south front of the transept has two towers on its sides. These towers were built to hold the cathedral's bells. They were meant to have spires, but these were never built.

The lower parts of the south transept are older than the north transept, dating to the early 14th century. However, most of the original sculptures were destroyed during the Revolution. Parts of the tympanum and the central pillar of the south portal were removed in 1794. This was done to allow wagons carrying supplies to pass through. Some sculptures in the voussoirs (arched parts) did survive. They are believed to be by a 14th-century sculptor from Toulouse.

West Front

The west front, with its massive buttresses.

The west front of Bordeaux Cathedral looks different from most other Gothic cathedrals. It has no decoration. It was hidden by other buildings until 1772, when those structures were torn down. The doorway itself was added later, in 1805.

Digs in 1954 showed that the plain wall was part of the original Romanesque nave from the 11th century. It was later made taller and wider in the 12th and 13th centuries. The early buttresses are still there.

On the south side, there is a row of buildings with neo-Gothic fronts called the New Sacristies. These were built between 1869 and 1879 by the architect Paul Abadie. They replaced the medieval cloister and now hold the baptismal chapel, sacristies, and other functional rooms.

Choir and Chevet

The chevet seen from the Pey-Berland tower.
The chevet with its radiating chapels.

The choir and chevet are usually at the east end of a cathedral, facing the sunrise. At Bordeaux, like other cathedrals of its time, the chevet is surrounded by chapels that spread out like rays. The flying buttresses between these chapels reach up to support the high walls of the choir.

Pey-Berland Tower

The tower and the cathedral.
The Pey-Berland tower (15th century).
The statue of Our Lady of Aquitaine on top of the tower (1863).
One of the tower bells.

The Pey-Berland Tower, built in the beautiful flamboyant Gothic style, was added to the cathedral by Archbishop Pey Berland. Its first stone was laid on October 13, 1440. It stands about twenty meters away from the main cathedral building. The tower is a bit over sixty meters tall. It was meant to have a much taller steeple, but the original stone steeple was blown down in a hurricane in 1667. The remains were removed during the Revolution, then rebuilt in 1851. A gilded metal statue of Our Lady of Aquitaine was added in 1863.

Inside the Cathedral

Nave

Looking east from the nave towards the choir.
The nave looking west, showing its decorative 16th-century vaults and the pulpit on the right.

The nave is the part of the cathedral where regular churchgoers sit. It is located between the west front and the transept. It is quite a bit narrower than the choir. Its ceiling was first covered with four-part rib vaults in the early 13th century. In the 16th century, some parts of the nave were rebuilt with more decorative lierne vaults. These vaults have extra ribs that are just for decoration. They are also decorated with carved stones showing the arms of Archbishop Jean de Foix and figures of Saint Andrew, the cathedral's patron saint.

The design of the nave is different from Gothic churches in other parts of France. This is because it was rebuilt at different times and in different styles. The north side of the nave has deep window niches on the ground floor. The south side, from the 12th century, has a mostly plain wall next to the new sacristies. The elevation (how the walls are built upwards) also shows a tradition of Gothic architecture in western France that used domes. In Bordeaux, the walls are made of groups of three arches, with a narrow walkway above them, and then high windows that fit into the arched ceiling vaults. The large groups of columns that support the arches have capitals (tops of columns) with plant designs.

Transept and Choir

The vaults (ceilings) of the transept and choir.
The high altar and choir stalls.
A close-up of a misericorde on a choir stall seat.

The transept is where the nave and the choir meet. It's traditionally where the main altar is located. The choir is the part of the cathedral usually set aside for the clergy (priests and church officials). While the nave of Bordeaux Cathedral mixes different styles and periods, the choir is built in a single, consistent style. The choir is also a different height and width than the nave, which made it a challenge to connect them smoothly.

The carved misericordes in the choir are a special artistic feature. Each one has a different image. These small ledges were designed so that clergy members could lean on them for support when they had to stand for long periods, especially during services.

Chapels

Statue of Joan of Arc, by Antoine Bourdelle (19th century).
Ambulatory (walking area) from the choir to the chapels, with an ornamental screen.
Chapel of the Virgin, at the east end of the apse.
Statue of Saint Anne and the Virgin Mary, outside the Saint Anne chapel.

Four chapels spread out from the east end of the cathedral. They are all in similar styles and are dedicated to the Annunciation, Margaret Mary Alacoque, Saint Anne, and Saint Charles Borromeo. The main chapel at the very end is dedicated to the Holy Sacrament or Sacred Heart. It has the most decoration, with fancy stone patterns, false arches, and carved reliefs. Its stained glass windows are all from the 19th century. The Chapel of Saint Anne still has faded murals from the 14th century that show scenes from the Saint's life. In the walking area outside this chapel, there is a 16th-century statue of Saint Anne with the young Virgin Mary.

Other chapels are found on the north and south sides. Several smaller chapels were combined in the 1850s and 1860s. This created the Chapel of Saint Joseph on the south side and Our Lady of Mount Carmel on the north side. The latter is dedicated to the Carmelite prior Saint Simon Stock, who died in Bordeaux in 1265.

A bronze statue of Joan of Arc stands outside the Chapel of Saint Anne. It is a copy made from a model by Antoine Bourdelle, a student of Rodin and a key figure in the Art Deco movement.

Organ and Tribune

The Grand organ and its tribune with sculpture.

The cathedral's large organ is located on a platform (tribune) above the doorway to the west front. An older organ was here from 1811 until 1980, when it was returned to its original home. The current organ was installed in 1982.

The platform where the organ sits, and the walls on either side of the entrance, are decorated with very detailed relief sculptures. These carvings were originally part of the old rood screen that separated the choir from the nave. They date back to before 1544. The sculptures show the influence of the Italian artist Rosso Fiorentino, who brought the Renaissance style to France around that time.

Bells

The cathedral has four bells located in the Pey-Berland Tower. The lower level holds two large bells: Marie and the very large Ferdinand-André II. Both were made by the Bollée foundry. They are hung in a way that they toll (ring by striking) rather than swing. The "II" in Ferdinand-André II means it replaced an earlier, short-lived 11-ton bell that cracked when it was delivered and had to be melted down.

The upper level has two smaller bells, Marguerite and Clémence. These two bells are still used today. They chime to mark services, masses, weddings, and funerals at Saint-André. Since 1925, electric motors have been used to ring them, controlled from inside the cathedral.

Stained Glass Windows

Top of the central window in the axis chapel - "Alpha and Omega".
The crucifixion and Saint John (detail).
Axis chapel window.
Saints and Apostles window.
King David and Old Testament figures.
Saint Catherine and Margaret of Antioch.

Only a few pieces of medieval stained glass remain in the cathedral's windows. These are integrated into the rose window of the north transept. Most of the other windows are from the 19th century. They were installed by glassmaker Joseph Villiet starting in 1852, and later by his successor, Henry Feur. Their windows fill the walls of the chapels and the high windows of the choir.

Marcadé Collection

The cathedral is home to the Marcadé collection. This collection includes forty-two beautiful illuminated manuscripts, along with other items like paintings, sculptures, and silver objects. Canon Marcadé donated it to Bordeaux Cathedral in 1947. Since 2015, these illuminations have been displayed in a special room designed for them within the cathedral.

Images for kids

Cathedral clock
St Augustine, St Blaise and St Macarius

Getting There

You can reach the cathedral using line A and line B of the tramway de Bordeaux. Get off at Station Hôtel de Ville.