Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assumption of Luçon came into being in the 7th century with the founding of a Benedictine monastery, dependent on the Abbey of Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu. Ravied several times by the Normans (853, 877) and burned in 1068 by Guillaume VIII de Poitiers, the building was rebuilt by his son, Guillaume IX le Troubadour, between 1091 and 1121. Romanesque abbey, consecrated in 1121, today preserves remains like the north porch adorned with a Christ of majesty. It was elevated to the rank of cathedral in 1317 by Pope John XXII, marking the creation of the diocese of Luçon at the expense of that of Poitiers.

Between the 13th and 15th centuries, the cathedral underwent major transformations, adopting a Gothic style after the destruction of the Hundred Years War. The choir was rebuilt at the end of the 15th century, while the chapels on the south side were added between 1530 and 1550. The Wars of Religion (1562, 1568, 1570, 1622) caused extensive damage, destroying much of his furniture. In 1665, the collapse of the bell tower seriously damaged the nave, requiring a partial reconstruction under the episcopate of Henri de Barillon (1671-1699), with architect François Le Duc.

In the 19th century, the cathedral underwent other changes, including the addition of a neo-Gothic arrow after the hurricane of 1847 that destroyed the previous one. The current stained glass windows date back to the 1880s-1890s, and the bedside window was installed in 1897. Ranked a historic monument in 1906, the cathedral houses an exceptional organ built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in 1857, witness to the golden age of the French romantic bill. Recent restorations, such as that of the arrow in 2004, have preserved this emblematic Vendée heritage.

External links