Vannes Cathedral
The Cathedral of Vannes, French Cathédrale Saint- Pierre de Vannes, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Vannes, the capital of the French département of Morbihan. It will also contribute the title of minor Basilica.
The cathedral was built in Gothic style in place of an older Romanesque cathedral. The construction began in the 15th century and lasted until the 19th century. Getting older is only the Romanesque bell tower from the 13th century, which was integrated into the new building.
History
The oldest building dates from around 1020. Built in the Romanesque style of granite, it was repeatedly supplemented by extensions, so that this cathedral was a building with many period features. The new Gothic building in the 15th century ( 1450-1520 ) was necessary because the old building had become too small for the crowds of pilgrims who wanted to visit the grave of St. Vincent Ferrer, who died in 1419 in Vannes and was buried in the choir of the Cathedral been.
From this time, the longitudinal and the transept, and the gantry on the north side come. This gantry contains - according to Breton traditions - twelve niches to accommodate statues of the twelve apostles. In the 16th century a round multi-storey Renaissance chapel was added on the north facade of the transept in the amount of the fifth yoke, the Chapelle du Saint- Sacrement. The vaults and the choir were built 1771-1774. The south tower and the west facade eventually come from the mid-19th century.
Architecture
The Cathedral is 110 meters long, making it one of the longest among the Breton cathedrals.
The west façade was built in 1857 in neo-Gothic style. Outside on the central pillar of the portal is a statue of the Dominican Vinzez Ferrer, who hails from Valencia and whose tomb is in the cathedral. The north façade opens onto the cloister the garden ( with the ruins of the monastery from the 16th century ) as well as on the Rue des Chanoines with the late Gothic porch porch of chanoines ' and the niches for the statues of the twelve apostles.
Inside
The nave extends over six zygomatic arches, the first forms the narthex. There are no aisles, instead, two series of five chapels which are directly adjacent to the nave, and the two towers at the first zygomatic arch.
The choir is surrounded by a large ambulatory, to the served in the Middle Ages to channel the pilgrims who wanted to see the grave of St. Vincent Ferrer.
The organ in the west gallery was built in 1894 by organ builder Debierre. The instrument has 35 registers on three manuals and pedal. The play and Registertrakturen are electric.