Cathedral sights in Southwestern France
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A
Cathédrale St-André
Lording over the city, and a Unesco World Heritage Site prior to the city's classification, the cathedral's oldest section dates from 1096; most of what you see today was built in the 13th and 14th centuries. Exceptional masonry carvings can be seen in the north portal. Even more imposing than the cathedral itself is the gargoyled, 50m-high Gothic belfry, Tour Pey-Berland, erected between 1440 and 1466. Its spire was added in the 19th century, and in 1863 it was topped off with the statue of Notre Dame de l'Aquitaine (Our Lady of Aquitaine). Scaling the tower's 232 narrow steps rewards you with a spectacular panorama of the city.
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B
Cathédrale Ste-Marie Cathedral
The twin towers of Bayonne's Gothic cathedral soar above the city. Construction began in the 13th century, and was completed in 1451; the mismatched materials in some ways resemble Lego blocks. Above the north aisle are three lovely stained-glass windows; the oldest, in the Chapelle Saint Jérôme, dates from 1531. The entrance to the stately 13th-century cloister is on place Louis Pasteur.
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C
Cathédrale St-Pierre et St-Paul
Inside the Flamboyant Gothic Cathédrale St-Pierre et St-Paul, the tomb of François II (r 1458–88), Duke of Brittany, and his second wife, Marguerite de Foix, is a masterpiece of Renaissance art.
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