Saint-André cathedral

For once, we fully acknowledge that this isn’t the most beautiful cathedral in France, nor the biggest, or anything else for that matter. At the same time, it’s hard to compete in a country where the Chartres, Reims and Amiens Cathedrales are on the podium. Whatever the case, Saint-André cathedral remains magnificent! It is the most imposing place of worship in Bordeaux, headquarters of its archdiocese. And mind you, the primitive church that stood there before the cathedral was founded in the third century, in the dawning days of Christianity. Remember that prior to that time, Christians were tormented by the polytheistic Romans, who were extremely suspicious of Christianity and its only God. So it can be said that the third century was a rather bold time to build  a church and as a matter of fact, it was destroyed by all the barbarian invasions that hit Bordeaux just a little later. The city was invaded in turn by the Visigoths, the Saracens and the Normans. In 814, Louis the Pious granted immunity to the church, and placed it under the king’s judicial protection. If Louis the Pious doesn’t sound familiar to you, it is because he was also knwon as Louis 1st! People mostly refer to the Louis from the tenth, but you should know that the very first Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, and that he was nicknamed the Pious, because he was very supportive of the church. It is also said that he used to burst into tears whenever he entered places of worship. This marks the end  of the historical digression. Let’s get back to our splendid cathedral! After all the looting, the cathedral was rebuilt and consecrated in 1096. In 1305, the archbishop of Bordeaux became Pope Clement V. He was a very important figure in history, because he refused to go to Rome and settled in Avignon. He was the first of  seven popes who resided in Avignon in the 14th century. Once on the throne of the Holy See, he did not forget his Gascon roots and allocated substantial funds to the cathedral of his beloved city. This is how the former Romanesque cathedral became a magnificent Gothic cathedral. Throughout its existence, it has seen a lot of beautiful people. The cathedral witnessed the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Louis VII and of Louis XIII to Anne of Austria, the baptism of the future King of England, Richard II, the holding of the Chapter of the Golden Fleece by Charles V, the visit of Napoleon I during the French Revolution and, more recently, the visit of the Queen of England. So, it’s hardly surprising that it has been listed as a historic monument! In fact, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998!