ST. ALAN DE LAVAUR CATHEDRAL
Cathédrale Saint-Alain de Lavaur, with its bell tower-porch and high altar, is the second most visited monument in the département
Built on the ruins of a church and convent destroyed by Simon de Montfort's crusaders in 1211, this church was erected as a cathedral by Pope John XXI when he created the bishopric of Lavaur in 1317. This Southern Gothic monument, often referred to as the "little sister of Sainte-Cécile Cathedral", boasts the unique feature of a solid oak Jacquemart, the only one of its kind in the South-West of France, topped by a Phrygian bonnet and counting the hours from the top of a side tower. With the town's promotion to the rank of bishopric in 1318, the building underwent a series of embellishments: an apse on the east side in 1332, north and south chapels between the 14th and 16th centuries, a bell-tower and monumental west portal in the 15th century. The interior features a polychrome high altar by the Moissac school, and a superb Cavaillé-Coll organ with polychrome case, a masterpiece of the Midi Renaissance. Its bell tower-porch - whose sculpted tympanum depicts the Virgin and Child surrounded by Saint Joseph and the Three Wise Men - contributes to making Saint-Alain a jewel of the local heritage. In February 2019, an arson attempt burned down one of the cathedral's chapels, which has since been restored.
Saint-Alain Cathedral underwent a complete restoration between 2013 and 2018 at a cost of around 2 million euros. It is currently the second most-visited monument in the département, after Albi's Sainte-Cécile cathedral.
Did you know? This review was written by our professional authors.
Book the Best Activities with Get Your Guide
Members' reviews on ST. ALAN DE LAVAUR CATHEDRAL
The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.
A visiter .
Lorsqu on est entré. Il y avait comme une bulle de lumière et de chaleur autour de l autel.
Superbe orgue.