Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Véran de Cavaillon, a former Catholic cathedral, was the seat of the diocese of Cavaillon until its attachment to the Archdiocese of Avignon. Classified as a historic monument since 1840, it is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Veran, patron of the shepherds. Its history dates back to the 11th century, with two initial churches: one dedicated to the Virgin and one dedicated to St Peter, today gone.

The major reconstruction of the church dedicated to the Virgin begins around 1175 under the impulse of Bishop Bermond, ending around 1225. Four phases of construction are identifiable: the nave (1175-1195), the span of the dome choir, the pentagonal abside, and the octagonal bell tower. Pope Innocent IV consecrated the building in 1251. From 1228, the cathedral adopted a double term, Beate Marie beatique Verani, after the partial transfer of the relics of Saint Veran from Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.

In the 14th century, nine lateral chapels were added between the foothills of the nave, five to the north and four to the south. In 1496-1497, a municipal campanile was erected to wear a clock, symbolizing tensions between episcopal and civil power. The 16th century marked a period of decline: in 1562, the Protestant troops of François de Beaumont, Baron des Adrets, looted and burned the cathedral. The repairs span decades, with the reconstruction of the choir, the installation of walnut stalls (1584), and the transformation of the chapel Saint-Véran into a sacristy (1595).

The 17th century saw interior embellishment, notably with the construction of an organ by Charles Royer (1653-1654) and its golden buffet by Barthélemy Grangier. The altarpieces are renovated, like that of the choir, adorned with an Annunciation by Nicolas Mignard (1645) and paintings by saints. In 1642, the collapse of the cul-de-four de l'abside destroyed the stone retable, replaced by a carpentry retable. The chapels, like that of Saint Véran or Caesar de Bus, house major works by Peter and Nicolas Mignard, as well as golden woodwork from the seventeenth century.

In the 19th century, controversial restorations (1852-1864) altered the apse and vaults, adding an apse to the chapel of souls of purgatory. Criticized for their excesses, these interventions partially altered the original Romanesque aspect, notably by sculptures and a "bariolage" deemed disproportionate. The cloister, adjacent to the cathedral, is the result of construction campaigns between the 12th and 13th centuries, with vaulted galleries in a broken cradle.

Today, the cathedral retains exceptional furniture, including paintings of the Mignards, 16th century stalls, and an organ classified as a historical monument in 1964. Its architecture, combining Provencal novels and Gothic or Baroque additions, bears witness to its central role in the religious and artistic history of the region.

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