Lombez Cathedral

Lombez, France

Lombez Cathedral is a brick church with an ornate pink-and-white five-tiered octagonal bell tower constructed c. 1346. A plaque to the right of the plain west entrance records the visit of the Italian poet Petrarch in 1330, arranged by the bishop, Jacques Colonna (1328–41), also of Italian extraction, who made Petrarch an honorary canon in 1335. The typical blank west façade of meridional Gothic is relieved only by a small roundel and the Flamboyantentrance in stone. The severe exterior is characteristic of the region with tall buttresses around the chevet.

Below the tower in the interior is a remarkable 12th-century baptistry, which was part of an earlier church. The lead baptismal font is made of two pieces, the lower part decorated with religious figures in medallions in the style of the 13th century, and the upper part with a frieze of secular scenes of antique design. The stopper in the base suggests it was used for total immersion which was practised until the 9th century.

Other items of note are the 17th-century walnut choir stalls, the altar in Carrara marble consecrated in 1753, and the 18th-century organ at the west end. The three panels of brilliantly colored 15th–16th-century glass in the chevet are by the followers of Arnaud de Moles, restored in the 19th century, and illustrate scenes from the Life of Christ and from the Passion. The rest of the glass is 19th-century.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: c. 1346
Category: Religious sites in France
Historical period: Valois Dynasty and Hundred Year's War (France)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Cedric Le Basque (2 years ago)
Beautiful cathedral but in need of renovation and exterior maintenance.
M T (2 years ago)
A wonderful place in the center of Lombez. A very beautiful cathedral to see.
marie helene devault (3 years ago)
A splendid place in a village center that has come back to life. A real pleasure to stroll in the alleys.
Loulou Ouppy (3 years ago)
Magnificent
Jc (3 years ago)
Its good
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Clementinum

The Clementinum is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries, the City Library also being located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. The Technical library and the Municipal library have moved to the Prague National Technical Library at Technická 6 since 2009. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic.

Its history dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a Jesuit college. In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of Charles University to the Klementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.