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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Notre-Dame-de-la-Sède Cathedral, located in Saint-Lizier, Ariège, was built at the end of the 11th century in a sober Romanesque style, with a unique nave. Its south wall rests on a Roman wall of the Lower Empire, giving it an irregular plan. In the 12th century, a cloister (now extinct) and a vaulted capitular hall, opening to it, were added. The building was redesigned in the 14th century: the vault was enhanced, and three side chapels were built, giving the cathedral its current configuration.

In the 16th century, under the episcopate of John d'Aule (bishop from 1475 to 1515), a monumental Renaissance painted decoration was commissioned to adorn the walls and vaults. These paintings, rediscovered during restorations in the 1990s, represent in particular the sons of Jacob and sibylls holding phylacteries in Latin. Two restoration campaigns (2003–2004 and 2009–2010) highlighted them, revealing an exceptional set for Occitanie.

The cathedral, classified as a historical monument in 1994, lost its active religious status after the abolition of the diocese of Couserans by the concordat of 1801. Today integrated into the departmental museum of the Palace of Bishops, she visits herself mainly for her paintings and hybrid architecture, mixing Romanesque elements ( semicircular apse, small limestone apparatus) and Gothic (ogival vaults, carved capitals). Masses are also celebrated occasionally, such as that of the Assumption on August 15.

The building also preserves traces of its medieval history, such as the 12th century capitular hall, vaulted and opening onto the former cloister. The adjacent episcopal palace, built around 1675, also rests on the Roman rampart, testifying to the superposition of the epochs on this strategic site. The elevations of the seventeenth century, including an oval room and a campanile, complete this complex architectural complex.

Architecturally, the cathedral is distinguished by its unique nave of 21 meters, illuminated by six bays and reinforced by massive foothills. The north gate, in broken arch, is decorated with capitals carved with foliage and human heads. Inside, the dogive crosses rest on cylindrical columns with various capitals ( episcopal weapons, secular scenes). The vaults, decorated with red brick ribs and painted keys, also house coats of arms and religious scenes, while the side chapels feature ivy arches and thirdons.

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