Limoges – Limoges Cathedral

The city’s Cathedral is Saint-Etienne (or St. Stephens in English) which was constructed between the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries. The building is Gothic in design and the only other section of the Cathedral built outside this period is the Romanesque crypt, although this isn’t accessible to visitors.

The bell tower of the cathedral was separated from the main part of the building until the late nineteenth century.

There was an event taking place, so the external view was partly blocked by seating. The part of the building is from the late thirteenth century, the section in the middle is from the sixteenth century and the section on the right (excluding the bell tower which is late fourteenth century) is from the nineteenth century. It’s a complex building, but at least, and unlike Narbonne Cathedral, they completed it.

The glorious nave of the cathedral.

The choir section of the cathedral dates from the late thirteenth and early fourteenth century, although this is where the earlier eleventh century construction started.

The Chapel of Sainte-Germaine, which also has some original wall paintings from the thirteenth century.

The cathedral’s main organ and the impressive sculpted rood screen, which has been moved from its usual place in the building.

Statues missing from the rood screen.

Both the detailed stonework and the missing sculptures and general damage can be seen on the rood screen.

So colourful….

The east transept, which is a little narrower than the west.

The Chapel of Sainte Philomene.

The Chapel of Saint Martial.

More stained glass.

There’s evidence above this arch, visible by the change in the stonework, of how initially it was going to have a squarer design.

The tomb of Jean de Langeac, an important sixteenth century diplomat and church official. He was the individual who commissioned the rood screen and he also spent a little time in England in the court of King Henry VIII.

The tomb of Bernard Brun, a former bishop of Limoges.

After an interesting hour in the cathedral, which was nearly empty, I ventured back out into the hot, bright sun. It was a particularly non-touristy cathedral with no shop, no parts were chargeable and that made it feel just that bit more authentic. There was plenty of signage around the building, although it was all in French, with the exception of a useful and information leaflet in English.