Cathédrale Saint-Gatien de Tours, is dedicated to its first
bishop. Its construction began in 1170 replacing another cathedral which had
been burnt down in 1166 during the conflict between Louis VII of France and Henry II of England (who also ruled over the
neighbouring French region of Anjou
at the time).
Construction of the cathedral took a while; it was not
completed until 1547 so what we have is a building made up styles spanning a
number of centuries.
The predominate style is 'Gothic' with the façade alone grabbing your attention immediately...the detail is amazing
Once inside you cannot fail to be impressed...how did they build these buildings...could we do it now?
The nave.
The choir.
The stained glass windows,many from the 13th century, are are breathtaking...
with contributions from the 'Lobin' factory of Tours.
The north transept contains the St.Martin altar...
As you walk around the cathedral you view various tombs including that of the children of Charles VIII and Anne de Bretagne.
and a fabulous rose window.
The south transept hosts the cathedral organ.
Where's Joan?
Well, here she has her own altar, yet strangely in the guide to the cathedral she doesn't warrant a mention.
The outside of the cathedral is almost as impressive as the interior, with its Gothic windows...
and flying buttresses.
It is an impressive building.
ReplyDelete