EGLISE SAINT-VINCENT ET SON CLOCHER PANORAMIQUE
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Church with an octagonal crenellated bell tower 54 m high that can be seen for miles around in Carcassonne
What a beauty and what a view! One of the finest in Carcassonne! Built in the late 13th century, the church was enlarged in the early 14th century. Its huge octagonal crenellated bell tower rises to a height of 54 meters. Climb the 232 steps to enjoy a 360° panoramic view of the Carcassonnais region. Once up there, it's easy to understand why it was used as a watchtower during wars and invasions. In the 18th century, the Cassini family, father and son, climbed to the top of the bell tower to map this part of the kingdom. This production would later become known as the very first scale map of France. A few years later, the bell tower was transformed into an observatory to define the length of the terrestrial meridian, an undertaking led by astronomers Jean Baptiste Delambre and Pierre Méchain, with the help of Raymond de Rolland.
The bell tower boasts a carillon of 54 bells, making it the largest in southern France. At 60 m long, 27 m high and 21 m wide, SAINT-VINCENT's nave, built in the Languedoc Gothic style, is the largest in the Languedoc! The Virgin of the Parade, patron saint of clothmakers, has long been venerated here. You can admire her statue inside, as well as works by Carcassonne painters Jacques Gamelin, Pierre Subleyras and Nicolas Mignard. Magnificent 15th-century stained glass windows and rose windows complete this richly historic ensemble.
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