Aire Cathedral

Aire Cathedral

The Aire Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste d'Aire) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the French city of Aire-sur-l'Adour . It is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and was formerly the seat of the Bishop of Aire. After losing this status during the French Revolution , it became the bishopric of the combined diocese of Aire and Dax during the reforms in the early 19th century . In 1933, however, the bishopric was moved to Dax . Since then, the cathedral has had the status of a co- cathedral , making it the second main church of the diocese alongside the Dax cathedral .

history

The cathedral was built in the 11th and 12th centuries and was modified several times between the 14th and 17th centuries. The current appearance of the cathedral therefore has different architectural styles. The apse and three bays are still preserved from the 12th century . The massive front from the 13th century has a simply arched portal with a pointed arch and is raised by a tower with a slate roof. The present sacristy was originally a chapter house from the 14th century. The Gothic vaults are supported by central pillars that give the impression of palm trees. The long nave has pointed arches from the 14th century. The choir is flanked by four choir chapels with a view of the transept . The organ and the side altars, like the high altar, the parquet and the rest of the furnishings, date from the late 18th century. When the apse was extended towards the park, the orangery , a stone building from the 17th century, was used for temporary exhibitions.

The cathedral is 48 meters long, 8 meters wide in the nave and 15 meters high at the highest point of the vault.

organ

View of the organ

The organ was built between 1757 and 1759 by the organ builder Dom Bédos de Celles.

I Positif de dos C, Dd 3 Montre 8th' Bourdon 8th' Prestant 4 ' Nasard 2 2 ⁄ 3  ' Duplicate 2 ' Tierce 1 3 ⁄ 5  ' Larigot 1 1 ⁄ 3  ' Plein-jeu V. Cromorne 8th'

II Grand-Orgue C, Dd 3 Bourdon 16 ' Montre 08th' Bourdon 08th' Prestant 04 ' Nasard 02 2 ⁄ 3  ' Duplicate 02 ' Tierce 01 3 ⁄ 5  ' Cornet V Plein-jeu VII Trumpets 08th' Voix humaine 08th' Clairon 04 '

III Récit c 1 -d 3 Cornet V Hautbois 08th'

IV Écho d 0 -d 3 Bourdon 08th' Prestant 04 ' Cornet III Cromorne 08th'

Pedale C, Dg 1 Flute 08th' Flute 04 ' Trumpets 08th' Clairon 04 '

Pilgrimage

The cathedral of Aire marks a stop on Via Podiensis , one of the pilgrimage routes on the way to the tomb of St. Jacob in Santiago de Compostela . It was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998 as part of the French Camino de Santiago.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Information on the organ (French)

Web links

Commons : Cathedral of Aire  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Aire Cathedral. In: Structurae
• Ancienne cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste. Monuments historiques. Ministère de la Culture, June 29, 2006, accessed January 9, 2011 (French). 
• Entry on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website ( English and French ).

Coordinates: 43 ° 42 ′ 2 "  N , 0 ° 15 ′ 43"  W.