Notre-Dame Cathedral

This is Luxembourg’s Notre-Dame cathedral! It was built in the early 17th century, when the city was under Spanish rule, as a church for the Jesuit College. However, in 1773, when the Society of Jesus was dissolved by the Pope, the large church in Luxembourg became the Saint-Nicolas-et-Sainte-Thérèse Parish. The former Jesuit college was used as the national library. The miraculous Notre Dame statue, consoler of the afflicted, which you can still see today and which is the city’s patron saint, was installed in the church. In 1867, once the Grand Duchy had been recognised as an independent state, the diocese of Luxembourg was created and the church was elevated to the rank of cathedral by Pope Pius IX. The cathedral is built in a late Gothic style mixed with Renaissance elements. Don’t hesitate to step inside and take a look. The choir’s large stained glass window, created by the Parisian master glass artist Louis Bariller, is magnificent. Also worth seeing is Westenfelder’s remarkable classical organ and a beautiful rood screen dating from the Renaissance. Resting in the crypt, guarded by two lions, are great names such as, the former kings of Bohemia, the Grand Ducal family, including Grand Duchess Charlotte, and the bishops of Luxembourg.