Luçon Cathedral

About

Our Lady of the Assumption of Luçon is a Roman Catholic cathedral and the seat of the diocese of Luçon in the department of Vendée. In Gothic style, it features ancient Romanesque and more recent, classical-style parts. Several elements of the building are protected by historical monuments. Its Cavaillé-Coll organ makes it a privileged recording place. The cathedral is one of the department's largest outstanding monuments and has an arrow culminating at 85 meters.

History: In the 7th century, a Benedictine monastery was founded here, first known as a dependency of the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu. His abbey occupied the place of the present cathedral. The first construction was ravaged by the Normans in 853, and again in 877. It was finally burned by Guillaume VIII de Poitiers, Count of Poitou in 1068. There's nothing left. The Count of Poitou was excommunicated by Pope Alexander II. To obtain the remission of his sentence, he had to rebuild the building at his own expense, and it was his son Guillaume IX the Troubadour who executed himself.