Coutances Cathedral
| Cathedral of Our Lady of Coutances Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Coutances |
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Overview of Coutances Cathedral from the north
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| Basic information | |
| Location |
Coutances, France 
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| Geographic coordinates | 49°02′52″N 1°26′45″W / 49.04778°N 1.44583°WCoordinates: 49°02′52″N 1°26′45″W / 49.04778°N 1.44583°W |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Province | Diocese of Coutances |
| Region | Lower Normandy |
| Country | France |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Cathedral |
| Status | Active |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | church |
| Architectural style | French Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 1210 |
| Completed | 1274 |
Coutances Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Coutances) is a Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral constructed from 1210 to 1274 in the town of Coutances, Normandy, France. It incorporated the remains of an earlier Norman cathedral.
It is the seat of the Bishop of Coutances.
Standing 80 metres (295 ft) tall, it dominates the town and can be seen from as far away as the island of Jersey. It is a classic example of the Gothic style of Normandy in its use of long, straight, vertical lines.
The construction of the first church or cathedral in Coutances in the 5th century is credited to Saint Ereptiolus, traditionally also the first bishop. This cathedral was destroyed during the invasion of the Normans in the 9th century.
The site lay waste for about 150 years but, in the mid-11th century, Robert, bishop of Coutances, undertook the rebuilding of the cathedral in the Romanesque or Norman style, starting with the nave. Robert died shortly afterward, but the work was carried forward by Geoffrey de Montbray, his successor as bishop, appointed in 1048. Geoffrey was on good terms with William, Duke of Normandy (later known as the Conqueror), who attended the consecration of the new cathedral in 1056. The bishop subsequently accompanied William on the conquest of England. The cathedral benefited greatly from the enormous profits of this conquest.
The Romanesque cathedral suffered later from a serious fire. In 1210 Bishop Hugues de Morville started to build the present Gothic cathedral, retaining the dimensions and much of the fabric of the Romanesque building. Substantial remains of it underlie many of the walls and towers of the present cathedral.
The new cathedral was completed in 1274 and has remained basically unaltered since. The twin towers rise to almost 80m, and its octagonal lantern tower stands over 57m high.
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