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Origin and history

The Concathedrale Notre-Dame-du-Bourguet de Forcalquier is a Catholic religious building located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Ranked a historic monument since 1914, it was erected in the 12th century and elevated to the rank of cocathedral in 1408, after replacing a first Romanesque collegiate, Saint-Mary, dated 1065. Its architecture combines early Gothic elements (nef, choir, transept) with later additions such as the campanile (XVI century) or lateral naves (XVII century).

The cathedral became an alternative episcopal residence for the bishop of Sisteron, in conflict with his local chapter. This status as a cocathedral reflects the political and religious tensions of the medieval period in Provence. The building houses remarkable elements such as a 17th-century organ, a bell of 1609, and a classified painting by Nicolas Mignard, The Triumph of Christ.

Recent restoration work (2008-2009) involved the bell tower dome, damaged by lightning, as well as the lightning rod and the clock. These interventions illustrate the ongoing efforts to preserve this heritage, a symbol of the region's religious and architectural history. The cathedral remains today a place of worship and a testimony of the stylistic adaptations between Roman and Gothic art in the Country of Oc.

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