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Origin and history

The Notre Dame de l'Assumption Cathedral of Senez, located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, was built from May 1176 on the site of earlier churches, in a Provencal Romanesque style influenced by ancient art. Its construction began with the abside, followed in the 13th century by the nave, before a solemn consecration on October 22, 1246 by Bishop William III. The portal, added in the 14th century, was damaged in 1569 during the Wars of Religion, when the Protestants of Antoine de Mauvans destroyed columns, cloisters and furniture, even burning the treasure in the nave.

After the destruction, Bishop John III of Clausse de Monchy (1561-1587) launched repairs in 1572, including a protective structure against infiltration. Other major works took place in 1684 (strengthening of the walls, buttresses) and in 1713 (reconstruction of the bell tower). On 4 July 1835, the partial collapse of the vaults required a restoration led by architect Rossi (1837-1839), although later criticized. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1910, the cathedral houses remarkable furniture: 16th-17th century tapestries (some stolen in 1982), Renaissance stalls, and a 1673 sundial restored in 1999.

The history of Senez, ancient Roman Sanitium and episcopal seat since the 6th century, is marked by interruptions due to invasions (Lombards, Sarrasins). The diocese was abolished in 1801, but the building retained its prestige, attracting even Napoleon I in 1815 to admire its tapestries. Since 2012, archaeological excavations led by Mathias Dupuis have revealed an occupation of the site since the fourth century, enlightening the liturgical and architectural evolution of this major place of worship.

Architecturally, the cathedral is distinguished by its unique nave with four spans, its semicircular apse, and its lateral chapels forming a low transept. The local materials (calcareous in medium apparatus) and the defensive elements (buttress, bell tower arcade of 1847) reflect the adaptations to conflicts and successive restorations. The narrow stained glass windows, the broken cradle of the nave, and the cubic capitals devoid of cutlery illustrate the mixture of Romanesque and Provencal influences.

The interior furniture, commissioned or restored by bishops such as Bishop of Ruffo Bonneval (1783-1784), includes baroque altarpieces, a 17th-century lutrin, and an 18th-century antiphonary. The outer sundial, adorned with a bear in reference to the first Bishop Bear, symbolizes the link between religious heritage and local identity. The bells, dating from 1643, 1888, and 1894, recall the cultural continuity despite historical upheavals.

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