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Origin and history

The Saint-Maurice Cathedral of Vienna, located in the Isère department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, is an emblematic building dating back to the fourth century. Although mentioned as early as 314 as the seat of the Archdiocese of Vienna, no architectural traces prior to the tenth century remained. The current building, rebuilt between the 12th and 16th centuries, combines Romanesque styles (nef, northern portals) and Gothic (chœur, facade). Consecrated in 1251 by Pope Innocent IV, it was the scene of major events like the Council of Vienna (1311–1312) ordering the suppression of the Templars. The cathedral, classified as a Historical Monument since 1840, also embodies the tumults of history: looted in 1562 by the Huguenots, transformed into an attic during the Revolution, and restored from 2006.

The Gothic facade, completed in the 16th century, dominates the Place Saint-Maurice with its three flamboyant gates, despite the destruction of sculptures during the Wars of Religion. Inside, the 90-metre nave, devoid of transept, reveals a harmony between the Romanesque (historical capitals of the 12th century) and Gothic (glasses, triforium). Among the treasures are 16th-century Flemish tapestries illustrating the life of St.Mauritius, a medieval chief reliquary, and an 18th-century mausoleum carved by Michelangelo Slodtz. The cathedral also houses the 13th century stone cathedra and a 16th century stained glass window, the only surviving of destruction.

Saint Maurice, martyr of the third century in Helvetia, gave his name to the cathedral since 1251 after receiving its relics in 718. The building was also the seat of the Primacy of the Seven Provinces until 1790, when the archdiocese was abolished. Today, as a co-cathedral of the diocese of Grenoble-Vienne, she preserves traces of her prestigious past: the epitaph of King Boson of Burgundy (887), the coronation of Pope Calixte II (1119), and the heart of the Dauphin Francis (1548). Recent restorations, such as the North Tower (2015–2017), perpetuate its architectural and spiritual heritage.

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