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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Saint-Léonce de Fréjus Cathedral, located in the historic centre of the city, is a composite building resulting from several periods. Its origin dates back to the fifth century with a paleo-Christian Baptistery, one of the oldest in France, characterized by an octagonal room with cut strips and a baptismal tank by immersion. This Baptistery, adorned with eight Corinthian columns from a Roman re-use, bears witness to the Merovingian art. The cathedral then developed over the centuries, integrating Romanesque and Gothic elements.

In the 12th century, a second nave, dedicated to Saint-Étienne, was added to the north of the nave Notre-Dame, dating from the 5th century. This nave, reserved for the bishop, presents six vaults in cradle and a choir extended by a semicircular apse. The two-storey Romanesque cloister, classified as a historic monument in 1862, houses 14th and 15th century painted panels, representing a fantastic bestiary and religious scenes. Its galleries, restored in the 20th century, offer a remarkable example of Provencal medieval art.

The current bell tower, built in the 13th century, dominates the whole with its structure in three parts: a square base, an octagonal floor of the 16th century and a decorated conical roof. It houses four bells, one of which was offered by the future Pope John XXII in 1303 and recast in 1770. The vantals of the entrance door, carved in 1530, illustrate scenes of the life of the Virgin and Renaissance motifs. The cathedral, classified as a historic monument, underwent major restorations after the bombings of 1944, thus preserving its architectural and artistic heritage.

Interior furniture includes retables, remodeled 15th century stalls, and 17th and 18th century statues. Among the notable works, a 16th century wooden crucifix and a Nativity of the same period adorn the naves. The semicircular abside, vaulted in cul-de-four, houses the tombs of the bishops Guillaume de Roffiac (1361-1364) and Louis de Bouillac (1385-1405), highlighting the episcopal role of the building.

The cloister, managed by the National Monuments Centre, now hosts temporary exhibitions and cultural events. Its painted wooden ceilings, restored in 1969, and its central well, raised between 1922 and 1931, make it an emblematic place of medieval heritage. The restoration works, carried out by architects Jean-Camille and Jules Formigé in the 20th century, helped preserve this episcopal ensemble after the damage of the Second World War.

Finally, Saint-Leonce Cathedral, with its Baptistery, cloister and outbuildings, illustrates the architectural and religious evolution of Fréjus, from late antiquity to modern times. His organ, rebuilt in 1991 by Pascal Quérin, and his contemporary musical manifestations perpetuate his cultural and spiritual vocation.

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