Sospel Cathedral, Sospel, France

Sospel Cathedral formerly the seat of the schismatic Bishopric of Sospel, created in 1378. Apart from a belltower of either the 11th or the 13th century, from the Lombard period of Sospel's history, the cathedral was built between 1642 and 1762, and is claimed to be the largest building in the Alpes-Maritimes. The Renaissance façade is from 1642, and contains in two niches the statues of the town's protectors, Saint Hippolytus and Saint Absende. Inside, the principal feature is the altarpiece in carved wood in three panels, containing the figure of the 'Immaculate Virgin of Sospel'. It is by the artist François Brea, of a family of artists from Nice, from the 15th or early 16th century.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Marianne Heredge (2 years ago)
Beautiful old cathedral, largest in the Alpes Maritimes. Lovely square with chapels and restaurants.

Oliver Liebmann (2 years ago)
What a nice cathedral. I haven't been inside, but it must look very beautiful. Stunning architecture

Tania Ann (3 years ago)
A gorgeous little village with a cathedral that comes with a lot of history.

Helene Lyt (4 years ago)
Very beautiful St. Michel cathedral in the heart of old town.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright mixteri

Historic Site of the week

Bengtskär Lighthouse

Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.

German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.

After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.

Sospel Cathedral

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Bengtskär Lighthouse