Admiring Bordeaux’ Saint-André cathedral

I’ve already written about the Pey-Berland belltower, which is separated from its cathedral, Saint-André.

The cathedral was created over the centuries, originally built upon a Roman church, and expanded greatly between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.

Today, it is a UNESCO Heritage site. Pope Urban II was on hand in 1096 to formally consecrate the cathedral and to make his plea to local residents for their support in the First Crusade.

UNESCO recognized this cathedral for its impressive masonry work and soaring vaults, and the important role it played on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, in Spain.

Bordeaux, and specifically the Saint-André cathedral, was an important stop-over for those Christian pilgrims.

In 1137, a royal wedding was held in the cathedral. Eleanor of Aquitaine would marry the Future King Louis VII. Louis’ father would die a few months later, quickly raising Eleanor’s status to Queen.

Although, in an interesting plot twist, Eleanor would later marry into English royalty, become Queen, and would be best known as the mother of King Richard the Lionheart.

Works would transform the Romanesque church into a Gothic cathedral in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

Financial contributions to the cathedral were supported by Pope Clement V, but construction work ground to a halt with the outbreak of the Hundred Years’ War in 1337. Construction would resume at war’s end.

The beautiful Saint-André cathedral and its belltower are well worth a visit on your next visit to pretty Bordeaux.