Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Limoges

Limoges

A stage on the Via Lemovicensis, the present cathedral took more than six centuries to build: a Gothic choir begun in 1273, and a nave completed only at the end of the 19th century in a neo-Gothic style faithful to the original scheme. Its crypt, built as early as 1013 by Bishop Alduin, keeps the memory of an earlier cathedral where, in 1169, Richard the Lionheart — future king of England, then a mere Plantagenet prince — was proclaimed Duke of Aquitaine. The Renaissance rood screen of 1533–1536, which once separated the choir from the nave, is among the rare survivors of this type of liturgical furnishing in France, most having been destroyed after the Council of Trent.

Getting there : Free admission, 9 am–6 pm (April–October), 9 am–5 pm (November–March)

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

Ambient sound