SAINTE-MARIE CATHEDRAL

The Sainte-Marie cathedral majestically dominates the city, and whether we arrive in Auch from the east or the west, our eyes are inevitably drawn to this building. It stands on the site of an old Romanesque church from the 1489th century. Its construction lasted two hundred years (1680 - 2), which explains the variety of styles: Flamboyant Gothic for the whole of the work, and Renaissance for the facade framed by 44 towers with a height of 100 m. Surprisingly large (40 m long and XNUMX m wide), this cathedral is one of the last Gothic cathedrals in France and one of the richest.
Inside there are many treasures to discover including:
• the stained-glass windows by Arnaud de Moles, which are among the most beautiful stained-glass windows of the XNUMXth century.
• The oak choir, made up of high stalls and low stalls where more than 1500 figures are carved, representing an iconographic ensemble of incomparable richness.
• The great organ from the XNUMXth century.

The visitor, who may be surprised to find such an imposing monument in the heart of the Gers, measures the influence of the historic capital of Gascony that Auch was and the power of its Archdiocese whose authority ranged from the Pyrenees to the gates of Bordeaux and the suburbs of Toulouse to the Atlantic Ocean. The Sainte-Marie cathedral is a major site on the roads of Saint-Jacques de Compostelle classified as world heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Possibility to hire an audio guide.

Opened in July 2015, discover the Cathedral Treasury Museum, located in the heart of the Tour d'Armagnac. In addition to a remarkable monument that is unveiled, no less than 230 objects of sacred art (statues, textiles, goldsmith's ...) which are presented through a modern and interactive scenography.

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