Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The ensemble built by ceramist Jean Linard (1931-2010) is a unique artistic creation located in Neuvy-Deux-Clochers, Cher. Acquised in 1961, an old flint quarry becomes the support of a house and workshops, built with recovery materials (posts, tiles, stones). Linard and his wife Anne Kjærsgaard incorporate colourful mosaics and ceramic sculptures, transforming the place into a total artwork.

In 1983, Jean Linard began the construction of his cathedral, an open-air building inspired by Gaudí, the Factor Horse and naive art. This ecumenical project, adorned with mosaics representing religious and historical figures (Bouddha, Gandhi, Mother Teresa), became the heart of his work. Worn with names like Jesus, Muhammad or Picasso, the cathedral symbolizes a spiritual and artistic quest outside the traditional currents.

Ranked a historic monument in 2012, the whole sparks debate about its preservation. In 2011, the Linard family planned to sell it, triggering a petition from experts in raw art for its safeguard. Despite local tensions, the Association Autour de la Cathédrale de Jean Linard (ACJL) opened the site to the public in 2012, attracting up to 8,400 visitors in 2019. In 2022, the place was finally bought by William Rouget and Charlotte Collet.

Linard's work, often compared to the Sagrada Família or the Ideal Palace, embodies an unusual architectural heritage. Its recycled materials, bright colours and ecumenical spirit make it a rare testimony of French singular art. The cathedral, with its ceramic mobiles and sculptures, dialogue with the surrounding nature, as underlined by the decree of inscription: "a perfect integration in the site".

External links