Saint-Louis Cathedral (Blois)
The Saint-Louis Cathedral ( Cathédrale Saint-Louis de Blois , Blois Cathedral ) is a Catholic church building in Blois ( France ) and the seat of the Bishop of the Diocese of Blois . The cathedral has been a listed building since 1906 .
history
As early as the 6th century there was a small chapel dedicated to the Apostle Peter on the site where the cathedral stands today . At the end of the 9th century, relics of St. Solemnis (Solenne), Bishop of Chartres in the 5th century, salvaged so that the chapel became a place of pilgrimage . Only the crypt of this chapel remains today .
Over the centuries there were several previous buildings on the cathedral site; A Romanesque church was built in 1132, and at the beginning of the 16th century it was replaced by a Renaissance building, the collegiate church of Saint-Solenne, which was largely destroyed in a storm in 1678. Only the facade and the apse remained . In the period from 1680 to 1700 the nave was built in the post-Gothic style according to plans by the architect Arnoult-Séraphin Poictevin. In 1860 the Notre-Dame chapel was built.
In 1697 the church was elevated to the status of cathedral of the newly created diocese of Blois and received the patronage of Louis the Saint .
During the Second World War , most of the cathedral's stained glass windows were destroyed. The windows of the choir apse were preserved, they date from 1860. In 2000, new stained glass windows by the Dutch artist Jan Dibbets and the French glassmaker Jean Mauret were installed.
Building
The cathedral consists of a nave with north and south aisles from the years 1680 to 1700 with side chapels and a choir. The choir is surrounded by an ambulatory dating from 1860. The choir chapels from the 19th century can be entered from here.
Below the choir is the old Saint-Solenne crypt.
The tower north of the portal of the west facade rests on Romanesque foundations and the lower part dates from the 16th century. The bell storey, in which seven bells hang, and the octagonal lantern were created in the 17th century.
Organs
There are two organs in the cathedral , the main organ and the choir organ .
Main organ
The main organ on the gallery was built in 1703 by the organ builder Robert Clicquot and was last restored by the organ builder Hurvy in 2000. The slider chests -instrument has 32 registers and three transmissions on three manual works and pedal . The playing and register actions are mechanical.
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Pairing :
- Normal coupling: I / II, III / II, I / P, II / P, III / P
- Sub-octave coupling: III / II
- Playing aids : Appels : GO, Orage. Anches: GO, POS, POS, PED
Choir organ
The choir organ was built in 1846 by Louis Bonn, rebuilt in 1927 by Joseph Gutschenritter senior and then re-inaugurated by Joseph Bonnet . It was last restored in 1966 by the organ builder Robert Masset. The playing and stop actions are mechanical.
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Pairing :
- Normal coupling: II / I, I / P, II / P
- Sub-octave coupling: II / I
- Playing aids : Appels : Anches
Individual evidence
- ↑ See the basic information on the cathedral (French)
- ↑ Information on the organs (French)
Web links
Coordinates: 47 ° 35 ′ 18.6 " N , 1 ° 20 ′ 11.5" E