The sites

 

It is generally accepted that the Christian community of Vienne was headed by a bishop from the late 3rd century. The first cathedral was probably built on the same site as the present-day one, in the 4th century, inside the reduced enclosure of the Gallo-Roman town and not far from the old forum.

The mediaeval cathedral, at the centre of an enclosed quarter inhabited by the canons of the chapter, overlooks an esplanade with some steps leading up to it, rising above the banks of the Rhône.

The elimination of the bishopric of Vienne in July 1790 stripped it of its title and reduced it to the status of parish church.

History

A few of Saint Maurice's relics, his head in particular, were introduced into the cathedral in the early 8th century. The worship of these benefited from the religiousness and the generosity of the Carolingian sovereigns (Boson in the 9th century) or the kings of Burgundy (10th and 11th centuries).

Inside the cathedral the beautiful harmony of the naves does not mask the different construction campaigns carried out from the 12th century to the early 16th century.

The successive master builders all wanted to incorporate older sculpted elements by re-using them: fragments of Gallo-Roman architecture, such as the lintel with griffins on the north door and the spiral columns inside; Roman arcatures repositioned above Gothic chapels.

But shortly after its completion, the cathedral was the victim of pillage and damage during the Wars of Religion (1561, 1562, 1567). Since the latter half of the 19th century, major restoration work has been carried out to repair the damage caused by water or by the deterioration of the materials, particularly the molasse.

Seeing and understanding sculpture

- Inside

In the seven spans of the Roman cathedral (around 1130-1160/1170), an exceptional series of 59 capitals combines ornamental vegetation and biblical figures: King David singing the psalms, the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem, the Holy Women at the tomb, Jesus descending into Hell, and His Ascension; all of these scenes contribute to the glorification of Christ, the risen king.

- The western facade

The three portals, built between the late 14th and late 15th centuries, gave worshippers a condensed illustrated version of the Holy story. On the north and south side portals, seraphim, angel musicians, singers or altar servers, seated prophets or patriarchs-all participated in the heavenly ceremonies. The central portal shows the connections between episodes of Jewish history and the life of Christ.