Blois Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. Louis of Blois, commonly referred to as Blois Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Saint-Louis de Blois; Cathédrale Blois) is a Late Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral in Blois, France. It has been a monument historique (a national heritage site of France) since 1906.
It is the seat of the Bishopric of Blois, established in 1697.
The cathedral is in the Late Gothic style. Before becoming a cathedral, the building was a collegiate church dedicated to Saint Solenne. Construction began in the 12th century. However, except for traces in the crypt and in the base of the bell-tower, nothing is left of the original structure. Construction on the current facade and bell-tower was begun in 1544. The nave was destroyed in a 1678 storm, and the reconstruction in Gothic style took place between 1680 and 1700 under the direction of the architect Arnoult-Séraphin Poictevin (d. 1720). This project was begun at the instigation of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, whose wife was a native of Blois.
To celebrate the church's elevation to cathedral status in 1697, Louis XIV presented the organ console in 1704. The new see thereupon took the dedication to Saint Louis.
The Chapel of Notre-Dame was added in 1860, under the direction of Jules de La Morandière.
American bombardment during World War II destroyed most of the glass-work in the cathedral. On December 22, 2000, new stained-glass windows were dedicated, the work of the Dutch artist Jan Dibbets and the French master glass-worker Jean Mauret. This work was done as part of a general restoration project begun in 1985. The new windows cover thirty-three bays, upper and lower, and have a combined surface area of over 360m22.
The current facade, dating from the middle of the 16th century, represents a compromise between the Late Gothic and early Neoclassical styles. Represented are such medieval elements as gargoyles, pinnacled buttresses, and a pointed gable. The Neoclassical elements include the triangular pediment and the medallions in the round found in the spandrels.
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