Senez Cathedral

Senez, France

Senez Cathedral formerly the seat of the Bishopric of Senez, abolished under the Concordat of 1801, when its territory was added to the Diocese of Digne.

The present Romanesque church stands on the site of several older cathedral buildings, but itself dates from the 12th-13th centuries. Construction started in 1176 and the cathedral was consecrated on 22 October 1246.

It suffered severely in the French Wars of Religion and its belltower was destroyed by Protestants. It was rebuilt in the 17th century.

It is particularly known for its church furnishings. The tapestries (seven by Aubusson, end of the 17th century, and one by Audemar of Enghien, end of the 16th century) were presented by Monseigneur de Ruffo Bonneval (bishop of Senez 1783–1784) to mark the completion of the restoration. Napoleon I passed through Senez on 3 March 1815 and greatly admired them. The church's choir stalls, lectern and altar, of the 17th and 18th centuries, are also particularly fine. It has two altarpieces of carved and gilded wood, also from the 17th century.

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Details

Founded: 1176-1246
Category: Religious sites in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.1/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Anne-Sophie Maribas (3 months ago)
Really disgusting and horrible The celebration of the Assumption deserves better than today The horrible St songs The one who sings the songs absolutely does not know how to sing and breaks the mass and does not say the psalm the mass is good except the songs need to be redone Really horrible To lead a mass you need to know how to sing.............
Bernard T (15 months ago)
Amazing cathedral in such a small village! Close to the Route Napoléon. You can stop there in a nice hotel restaurant. Beautiful views around.
Marie-Claire BOREL (19 months ago)
Seemingly nothing, Senez once housed a bishopric. The cathedral bears witness to this. It is imposing for such a small village. Unfortunately it only opens two days a year: inside, Flanders and Aubusson tapestries as well as rich furniture (inquire)
Guillaume Chatenoud (2 years ago)
An unexpected place of history! Magic ?
Francisco Javier Perez Rodriguez (5 years ago)
The diocese of Senez was formed in the 5th century; Its first bishop would have been Ursus, in the middle of that century, although the first documented is Marcellus, in 506. Excavations carried out in recent years have confirmed the existence of a place of worship from that time and throughout the rest of the Early Middle Ages. At the end of the 12th century, a new cathedral, the current one, began with the apse, with the single nave being built in the 13th century; The temple was consecrated in 1246. At that time, the cloister and other buildings for use by the chapter were also built, which were destroyed in the 16th century during the religious wars. The cathedral was also looted - at that time the western portico, from the 14th century, was damaged - and was restored in 1572. Of the subsequent reforms, the most important is the construction of the bell tower at the beginning of the 18th century, which replaced the one from the Romanesque period. Senez was largely spared from wars and looting since the end of the 16th century, which has allowed it to preserve its modern furniture, in which its collection of tapestries from the 16th and 17th centuries stands out. Especially interesting is the sundial on the western façade, from 1674 – repainted in 1784 and restored in 1999 –, in which historical milestones of the headquarters are noted, such as the secularization of its canons in 1648 or the fire of the cloister and the archive –1588 and 1563–. The diocese of Senez was suppressed after the Revolution, being annexed to that of Digne, the temple then losing the dignity of a cathedral and becoming a simple parish church.
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