Saint-Pierre Cathedral

If you were Duke or Duchess of Britanny, this cathedral would be special to you! This is where you, your ancestors and descendants have been crowned for centuries! Today, this cathedral remains a highlight of your stay in Rennes! The religious significance of this site is ancestral. This cathedral has been  the seat of the diocese since the 6th century and it is even thought that the first edifice was built on an even older sanctuary! During the 12th century, a gothic cathedral was built on the site. It was within the walls of this church that the marriage of Henry Tudor and Elizabeth of York took place. This very imporant marriage put an end to the Wars of the Roses, and gave birth to the dynasty of the Tudors, which would give England five sovereigns. In short this isn’t just any cathedral! The one you are currently admiring was built in 1787. Being in a really poor condition, the building from the 12th century collapsed by half during the 15th century. Reconstruction was laborious and tough, lasting over 200 years! This is why, as Rennes was in the middle of its embellishment plan after the fire, it took the opportunity to demolish the cathedral and to rebuild from scratch. However 1787 wasn’t the ideal year to start building a new cathedral. Little did he know that the French Revolution would break out only 2 years later, and render the construction impossible. Construction didn’t resume until 1816 and wasn’t finish until 1845! The interior is well worth the detour, with its stained glass windows, its archway, and its treasure vault! We owe this to the Bishop of Rennes in 1841, who didn’t like the previous design at all! He found it austere, and wanted marble columns and gilding on wood. Luckily enough, he was close to the Pope and had a vast network that he quickly put to use. He even got Napoleon III to make Rennes an archdiocese. He then launched a huge construction project to transform the classic interior into a mini Basilica of Rome. Be sure to admire the recently restored altarpiece from the 16th century. Nothing is left from the first building of the 6th century, nor from the first gothic cathedral of the 12th century. Saint-Pierre Cathedral is the only cathedral in Britanny, even in France, to follow a roman design. It remains a treasure of the Rennais’ heritage. This style is quite surprising. And it’s good to be surprised from time to time, with Rennes it never stops!