Cathédrale Saint-Théodorit et tour Fenestrelle d'Uzès

Uzès

Built from 1090 on the remains of a Roman temple, the cathedral of Saint-Théodorit in Uzès was partly destroyed in 1177, raised again in the 13th century, then wiped out on 13 May 1563 by fire during the Wars of Religion, and ruined once more in 1621: each time, only the Fenestrelle tower survived. Rebuilt between 1642 and 1663 in the classical style of the Counter-Reformation, the building, rib-vaulted at 18 metres to the keystone, received its neo-Romanesque facade in 1873. It preserves a great 17th-century organ whose gilded case closes with painted shutters, a rare ensemble in France, as well as four bells, one of them dated 1600. But the jewel of the site remains the Fenestrelle tower, a 12th-century campanile abutting the cathedral: the only round bell tower in France, some 42 metres high, it stacks six storeys pierced with paired windows in the spirit of Lombard Romanesque, beneath a roof of glazed tiles, and is thought to have lost two storeys over the course of the destructions. Its slender silhouette, an architectural enigma recalling the campaniles of Italy, was listed as a monument historique as early as 1862, the cathedral being protected in its entirety in 1963.

Getting there : Historic centre of Uzès (30700), on the edge of the plateau overlooking the valley; check the cathedral's opening days and hours before visiting.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound