Notre-Dame Cathedral

Here you are in front of Grenoble’s Notre-Dame cathedral. The bishopric of Grenoble dates back very far! Almost to the beginnings of Christianity! It’s worth remembering that Christians were considered outlaws by the polytheistic Romans and were often martyred in Rome. In 313, Emperor Constantine finally granted them freedom of worship. In 379, our little Cularo, which means “pumpkin patch”, came under the rule of Emperor Gratian and became the city of “Gratianopolis”. In 380, the diocese of Grenoble was created and entrusted to its first bishop, Saint Domnin. The building in front of you is a double church, typical of the early Christian period. You have the 13th century cathedral next to the 11th century church of Saint-Hugues. This first church was built against the Roman walls. In the Middle Ages, Notre-Dame was part of a vast complex of buildings that included the bishop’s palace, chapter houses, a cloister and, of course, the church and cathedral. The two buildings have been modified several times, but the discovery of a baptistery in 1989 proves that religious buildings have been on the site since the 4th century! As for many archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, the baptistery was excavated as part of the tramway works! You can visit the remains free of charge at the Musée de l’Ancien Evêché. The entrance is on the corner of the street to the left of the cathedral. From the outside, the cathedral’s main feature is its massive square brick bell tower, but don’t hesitate to take a look inside. The whole complex is listed.