St. Peter's Cathedral

Saint Peter's Cathedral, comparable to "a ship of golden stone with deep buttresses," gives the appearance, seen from afar, of a fortress church. It dominates the town of Condom and overlooks the Baïse river flowing at its feet.
Built in the 16th century, on the site of an old abbey church from the 11th century, its plan is typical of southern Gothic churches with a wide single nave with side chapels between the buttresses. The important bishopric of Condom created in 1317, known to many bishops including Jacques Bénigne Bossuet (1669-1670).
Its 19th-century chancel was inspired by that of Albi Cathedral (Sainte-Cécile) and replaced the former chancel destroyed during the French Revolution. At the eastern end, a 14th-century chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary opens onto the cathedral. It was preserved and incorporated into the new building during the cathedral's construction. Darker in appearance with its narrow windows, it contrasts with the nave, which is pierced with numerous Flamboyant Gothic windows. Also noteworthy is the elegance of the historiated keystones in the central nave.

Theme(s) : religious heritage, cathedral, cloister.