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Origin and history

Notre Dame de Dax Cathedral, or St Mary's Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic building located in Dax, in the Landes department (New Aquitaine). Ranked a historic monument in 1946, it replaces a 13th century Gothic cathedral, which collapsed in 1646. The only vestige of this time, the Portal of the Apostles, a 14th century Gothic masterpiece, was preserved and integrated within the present building, in the north transept. This portal, 12 meters high and 8 wide, is decorated with rare sculptures for the South West, despite past mutilations.

The present building, built between the late 17th and 19th centuries, adopts a sober classical style, comparable to Parisian churches like Saint-Louis-des-Invalides. Its long unfinished façade was completed in 1894 by architect Paul Gallois. The interior, structured in three levels (large arcades, triforium, bays), houses remarkable elements: the stalls of the Canons (XVIth century), an 18th-century marble master altar signed by the Mazzetti brothers (Avignon sculptors of Swiss origin), and paintings by Dutch masters such as Gerrit van Honthorst (Jesus and his disciples) and Hans von Aachen (The Adoration of the Shepherds).

The cathedral also preserves an exceptional organ, built in 1785 by Jean-Baptiste Micot son, whose buffet (late 17th century) is attributed to local cabinetmaker Caular. Ranked in 1984, the instrument was rebuilt in 1987 by Robert Chauvin. The recently restored buffet is considered one of the most beautiful in France. The arched sacristy and lantern tower adorned with Corinthian columns complete this architectural ensemble, a witness to the stylistic and religious evolutions of Dax since the Middle Ages.

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