Saint André's Cathedral - Outside

Consecrated in 1096 by Urban II, rebuilt or altered in the succeeding centuries, then ravaged during the Revolution, Saint André’s Cathedral not only constitutes the most impressive place of worship in Bordeaux but bears witness to the passing periods that have fashioned it. Here we are facing the north door.

Place Pey Berland > Tram A, B, Hôtel de Ville station

Pope Urban II consecrated Saint André’s cathedral in 1096 during his tour of France to rally support for the first crusade to free Jerusalem and the Holy Land of Muslim domination. Of the vast building, probably erected in the 10th or 11th century, in which Urban II preached, only the ornamentation of the west wall of a vast nave now remains.

However, the discovery during the tram development works in 2003 of a vast edifice 30 metres to the north of the transept of the gothic church dates the construction of an initial gallo-roman Episcopal group of buildings to probably around the 5th century following the christianisation of Burdigala (Bordeaux) by Saint Hilary and Saint Martin in the 4th century.

It was in the old church that Eleanor of Aquitiane was married at the age of 15 to the future king of France Louis VII in 1137, and it was with her financial backing that the Angevin style nave was built to be modified in the 13th century.

Fifteen years later with her marriage to Henry Count of Anjou and Duke of Normandy in 1152 and then his accession to the throne of England as Henry II in 1154, Bordeaux became English which marked the start of a new period of prosperity.

The royal door was added in 1250 through which passed Louis XIII and Anne of Austria for their wedding after which according to legend no one was ever to use it again. The tympanum of the Last Judgement was added at the beginning of the Bordeaux renaissance period.

The construction of the ambulatory began in 1280 and was linked to the nave around 1330. By order of the Gironde born Archbishop of Bordeaux, Bertrand de Goth, later to become Pope Clement V, the chancel and the north and south façades with their gothic ornamentation were built, the finest being the north side with its two 81 metre spires and splendid door carved with characters.

The towers, spires of the south transept were finished in the XVth century.

In the 15th and 16th centuries another 8 flying buttresses were added to counteract the numerous alterations to the nave, the most recent is dated 1533 and supports the Royal Door. It is known as the Gramont buttress as it bears the coat of arms of Charles de Gramont, Archbishop of Bordeaux (1530-44), who introduced into Bordeaux the art of the Renaissance.

The relative structural frailty of the edifice no doubt weighed heavily in the decision of erecting the monumental bell tower some twenty metres to the south east of the apse. The tower was built under the episcopate of Pey-Berland in 1440.

In 1787 a terrible fire destroyed much of the roof and during the Revolution – like so many holy places in France - Saint André’s cathedral was pillaged of its furnishings and used to store fodder. Worship was restored under Napoleon and the cathedral was renovated during the 19th century and entirely refurnished with elements from deconsecrated churches and monasteries.

The bell tower spire, destroyed during a hurricane in the 18th century, was replaced after 1850 and surmounted by a 6.5 metre tall statue of “Our Lady of Aquitaine” in spun, gilded copper. The great bell dates from 1853 and weighs 11 tons. Visiting hours from 10 am to 12.30 pm and 2pm to 6pm, 360 days a year. The normal entrance fee is 5 euros.

Saint André’s Cathedral is 124 m (407 feet) in length, 17 m (59 feet.) wide at the transept, 23 m (75 feet) high in the nave and 29 m (95 feet) high in the chancel. Saint André’s Cathedral has been on the UNESCO world heritage list since 1998 as part of the Route of Santiago de Compostela along with the Basillicas Saint-Seurin and Saint-Michel.