Bordeaux | Cathédrale Saint-André ⛪️🎨

Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located near the City Hall, it is one of the most beautiful religious monuments in Bordeaux. 🏰In 1137, Eleanor of Aquitaine and the future King of France, Louis VII, held their wedding here, as did Anne of Austria and Louis XIII. 🏰However, during the French Revolution, it was used to store gunpowder, and in the 19th century, it suffered a devastating fire. All the furniture in the church today has been moved from other churches. 🏰The meticulously restored Royal Portal on the north wall of the nave is a microcosm of 13th-century French Gothic architecture. Like many other cathedrals of the time, the sculptures were also painted in bright colors to attract believers. 🏰Over the centuries, the clergy accumulated a real treasure in their religious buildings, accumulating an extraordinary liturgical art. In 1789, these properties were requisitioned by the state as collateral for the debts of the new revolutionary nation. As a result, the Cathedral of Saint-André, the former Archbishop's church of Bordeaux, built between the 12th and 14th centuries, almost lost all its valuables, especially gold and silverware. It was followed by a period of turmoil, during which the cathedral became a multi-purpose venue: sometimes a food warehouse, sometimes a temple of reason, and sometimes a hall for patriotic celebrations. During this period, the church acquired Jordaens' "Christ on the Cross," a painting by one of the most famous Flemish painters of the 17th century. Opening hours of the church: Wednesdays and Saturdays from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Admission is 2 euros, and children under 12 enter for free. #France #Bordeaux #Cathedral #WorldCulturalHeritage