Cathedral of Saint-Front Périgueux by Hans Kool

About "Cathedral of Saint-Front Périgueux"

by Hans Kool

About the artwork

Saint-Front Cathedral is a huge cathedral located in the centre of the city of Périgueux. This cathedral is known for its architectural style: a mix between Byzantine and Romanesque architecture. At the beginning of the sixth century AD, the construction of a chapel was begun, on the edge of a hill in modern-day Périgueux. This chapel soon grew into a pilgrimage destination of believers. At the end of the 10th century AD, Bishop Frotaire therefore decided to replace the small chapel with a larger variant, the cathedral of Saint-Front. However, Bishop Frotaire would never get to see the new cathedral in its completeness. He died in the year 1043 AD, four years before the construction of Saint-Front cathedral would be completed. Frotaire was buried in the cathedral. In the year 1047, the cathedral was officially consecrated. However, in the year 1120, the cathedral went up in flames, due to a fierce fire. However, the cathedral was completely rebuilt. Both during the Hundred Years War with England, and during the Wars of Religion, the cathedral was badly damaged. After the turbulent years, large-scale works were started from the year 1852 to restore Saint-Front Cathedral to its full glory. These restoration works were led by French architect Paul Abadie, and would eventually take no less than 43 years. Since 1998, Saint-Front Cathedral has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.