Ancienne cathédrale Saint-Théodorit

English translation

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History

The cathedral was provided with a chapter of the order of the regular canons of Saint Augustine. In 1546, this chapter adopted the Protestant religion and then returned, in 1633, to Catholicism. It then submitted to the rule of the regular canons of the Congregation of France. The cathedral, with the exception of the Fenestrelle tower (12th century), was almost entirely destroyed during the Wars of Religion. Reconstruction began in the 17th century. The main fabric was started with the chevet, entirely completed in 1649. The building was opened for worship in 1660. Contracts relating to the furnishings and interior decoration were established between 1678 and 1680. The neo-Romanesque western façade was applied against the old gable wall at the end of the 19th century. The building is composed of a large central nave, bordered by lateral chapels arranged between the buttresses and surmounted by galleries, the latter being interrupted at the level of the second bay from the sanctuary to form a transept. The sanctuary, whose semi-circular part is inscribed in the rectangular plan of the building, comprises one bay which corresponds to a lateral chapel on either side. The 17th-century part links, to the west, with pre-existing buildings and notably the Fenestrelle tower which flanks the south-west corner. To the west, the old back wall was incorporated into the construction of the new north bell tower (campaign 1649).