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Origin and history

The Saint-Sauveur Cathedral of Aix-en-Provence, located on the ancient Via Aurelia, is built on the remains of the Roman forum of Aquae Sextiae. According to legend, its location would correspond to a temple dedicated to Apollo, a hypothesis reinforced by the discovery of ancient columns re-used in the Baptistery. The latter, built between the fifth and sixth centuries, is one of the oldest in France, with a merovingian baptismal tank and a 16th century dome. The excavations also reveal traces of a primitive chapel founded by Saint Maximin in the first century, destroyed during the Sarrasin invasions (VIII–IX centuries).

The construction of the present cathedral begins at the end of the 11th century under the impetus of Archbishop Rostan de Fos and the provost Benedict, with a Romanesque nave completed around 1103. The monument then underwent numerous transformations: the facade, begun in 1477 under Georges-Olivier de Pannard, blends ancient blocks with bosses and a Gothic portal (XVI century). The works, interrupted by conflicts between the chapter and the archbishops, ended in 1513 thanks to donations, such as that of Louis Rostan for sculptures. The cloister, built between the 11th and 13th centuries, and the bell tower (1425) complete the whole.

The interior preserves artistic treasures: the Triptych of the Ardent Buisson by Nicolas Froment (15th century), doors carved in walnut by the Bolhit brothers and Jean Guiramand (1508), and an 18th century organ. The Baptistery, once fed by the Roman baths, symbolizes liturgical continuity since ancient times. The cathedral, classified as a Historical Monument in 1840, thus embodies nearly 1,500 years of Provencal religious and architectural history, marked by legends (such as Jeanne Perraud's and his visions) and anecdotes, such as the Protestant conversion of Archbishop Jean de Saint-Chamond in 1566.

The 19th century stained glass windows, signed by the Didron workshop, and the frescoes of the chapels (such as that of Saints Como and Damian) reflect modern restorations. The building, the seat of the Archdiocese, remains an active place of worship, while sheltering a lapidary deposit (sarcophagus of Saint Mitre) and missing works, like a stained glass window of John Joye destroyed during the Revolution. Its eclectic architecture, combining ancient reuses and medieval additions, bears witness to the successive strata of Aix history.

Among the notable episodes are the forced resignation of Archbishop Robert de Mauvoisin in 1318 for "combination and simony", or the mystical visions of Jeanne Perraud (1631–76), exhibited in the cathedral. The three bells of the bell tower (Marie Immaculatee, Paule, Marie-Madeleine), melted between 1858 and 1932, still beat the life of the city today. The cathedral, with its altar of Aygossi (1470) and Flemish tapestries, remains a jewel of French religious heritage.

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