Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, known as the Cathedral of the Upper Town, was built from 1464 on the heights of Vaison-la-Romane, replacing a 12th century church considered too far from the inhabitants. Bishop William III of Cheisolme started his construction by reusing stones marked by the former St. Lawrence chapel, located in the plain. The building, integrated with the walls of the upper city, became a symbol of local religious and defensive life.

Over the centuries, the cathedral underwent major changes: enlarged in 1599–01 by master masons Jacques Furet and Antoine Cuchet, it was embellished with paintings at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Its façade and rostrum were rebuilt in 1776 by architect Teyssier. Despite these transformations, it lost its status as cathedral in 1897 to Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth, becoming a simple parish church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Quenin, patron saint of Vaison.

Ranked a historic monument in 1994 (after an inscription in 1946), the cathedral was closed for 25 years for restoration, reopening in 2015. Its treasures, such as a 17th century statue of Saint Joseph or a fresco of the Coronation of the Virgin, are the subject of preservation campaigns. A call for donations was launched by the Heritage Foundation to save the building, still threatened by structural problems.

The history of this monument reflects the religious and urban evolutions of Vaison-la-Romane, between the need for spiritual proximity, architectural adaptations and contemporary conservation issues. Its location at the peak of a cliff, integrated with the city's defences, also highlights its dual role as a place of worship and strategic bastion.

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