Rodez Cathedral

About

Notre Dame de Rodez Cathedral, built between the 13th and 16th centuries, is a Catholic cathedral located in Rodez in the French department of Aveyron in the Occitan region. It is the cathedral of the diocese of Rodez and Vabres. Although construction lasted from 1277 to the end of the 16th century, the cathedral enjoys a remarkable unit both inside and outside.

Indeed, the general party of the building was fixed from the beginning. This type of plan is attributed to architect Jean Deschamps, who has put into practice in the Midi the principles of Gothic architecture defined in Northern France. The plan and elevation of the building make it possible to establish similarities between the cathedral of Rodez and those of Clermont-Ferrand, whose construction was led by Jean Deschamps between 1248 and 1265, Narbonne, where Jean Deschamps was appointed principale magisteris operaris ecclesiæ in 1286, Limoges.

The harsh appearance of the western facade bears witness to its defensive vocation: it is flanked by two massive towers that were incorporated into the ramparts. Only "anomaly" to the flamboyant rigor of the ensemble: a frontispiece placed at the top of the facade in the middle of the...