Origin and history
The Cathedral of St Anne of Apt, originally dedicated to Our Lady and St Castor, is one of the oldest churches in the West to venerate St Anne from the twelfth century. His worship was formalized in the 14th century under Popes Urban V and Urban VI, who extended his feast to July 26. The relics of the saint, reported according to tradition by Mary Salome and Mary Madeleine in the 1st century or by crusaders after the 11th century, made it a place of major pilgrimage. The city was even renamed "Saint Anne d'Apt" in the 18th century, as evidenced by the period letters.
The present building is the result of multiple reconstructions since ancient times. A first Paleo-Christian cathedral, dedicated to St Paul and destroyed in the third century by the Franks, was replaced intramural in the fourth century. The Armenian invasions of the ninth century ravaged the city, forcing Bishop Nartlod to move the episcopal seat in 975. The present cathedral, which began in the 11th century under Bishop Alfant of Agoult, was enlarged in the 12th (Romanesque nave), 14th (northern gothic nave) and 17th centuries (Saint Anne Chapel, designed by François de Royers de la Valfenière). Ranked minor basilica in 1867, it preserves Romanesque elements, a quadrangular bell tower, and a copper dome topped by a golden statue of Joseph-Elzéar Sollier (1877).
The lower crypt, dating from the Merovingian period, houses sarcophagus and relics, including those of Auspice, the first legendary bishop of Apt. The 11th century upper crypt presents a monolithic altar of the 8th century and 13th century sarcophagi. The south collateral, a novel, preserves a marble altar of the Pyrenees (XII century), while the central nave, rebuilt in the 16th and 18th centuries, hosts a 14th century stained glass window offered by Urban V and 18th century stalls. The chapel of Saint Anne, a Baroque masterpiece, was built thanks to a pilgrimage by Anne of Austria in 1660, although the promised royal gift was never given.
The cathedral's treasure includes the "Sail of Saint Anne", a medieval hunt, and liturgical manuscripts. The organ, built in 1705 by Charles Boisselin, has a buffet classified as a historical monument. The relics of Saint Anne, shared with Sainte-Anne-d'Auray and Quebec, founded the reputation of the sanctuary. The legend reports their miraculous discovery under Charlemagne, although the first historical records date only from the twelfth century. The cathedral, the seat of an ancient diocese abolished in 1801, remains a symbol of Provençal religious heritage.
Archaeological excavations revealed traces of the first Christian community of Apta Julia (III century), including a necropolis and a Baptistery dedicated to St John the Baptist. The present cathedral, the result of six major reconstructions, illustrates the architectural and cultural evolutions of the region. Its ranking in 1846 and its title as minor basilica (1867) underline its historical importance. The modifications of the 16th and 18th centuries, such as the extension of the vault or the addition of chapels, responded to the influx of pilgrims attracted by relics and indulgences, especially after the jubilee of 1534 granted by César Trivulce.
The west facade, 42 metres wide, combines Romanesque, Gothic and classical styles. The Romanesque bell tower, quadrangular and with a pyramidal arrow, houses five manually ringed bells, a rarity. The dome of the royal chapel, covered with copper, is surmounted by a golden bronze statue of Saint Anne (1877). Inside, the central nave, reshaped, contrasts with the southern Romanesque collateral, preserved in its original state. The stained glass, paintings (including those of brothers Delpech and Nicolas Mignard), and sculptures (like the angels of Jean-Claude Rambaud) enrich this artistic heritage, reflecting the Byzantine and local influences.
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