Montpellier Cathedral dates back to a chapel that belonged to the monastery of Saint-Benoit, which in 1364 by Pope Urban V was established. This chapel became a cathedral in 1536 when the seat of the Maguelone diocese was moved to Montpellier.
The building was badly damaged during the Huguenot Wars in the 16th century and rebuilt several times in the following centuries. In the 19th century, between 1855 and 1875, there was a significant expansion under the direction of the architect Henri Antoine Revoil. In 1847 the cathedral was given the title of minor basilica .
Side view
Side view
Rosette westwork
Coat of arms on the choir
Clock bells
organ
View of the main organ
The organ , the work of the French organ builder Jean-François Lépine (1732–1817), was inaugurated in 1778.
I Grand Orgue C-g 3
1.
Montre
16 ′
2.
Bourdon
16 ′
3.
Montre
8th'
4th
Bourdon
8th'
5.
Flûte harmonique
8th'
6th
Prestant
4 ′
7th
Flute
4 ′
8th.
Grande Tierce
′ 3 1 ⁄ 5 ′
I Bombarde C – g 3
9.
Duplicate
2 ′
10.
Grande Fourniture II
11.
Petite Fittings III
12.
Cymbals IV
13.
Cornet V
14th
Bombard
16 ′
15th
Trumpets
8th'
16.
Clairon
4 ′
II positive dorsal C – g 3
17th
Montre
8th'
18th
Bourdon
8th'
19th
Prestant
4 ′
20th
Flûte à Fuseau
4 ′
21st
Nasard
2 2 ⁄ 3 ′
22nd
Duplicate
2 ′
23.
Fourth
2 ′
24.
Tierce
1 3 ⁄ 5 ′
25th
Larigot
1 1 ⁄ 3 ′
26th
Fittings IV
27.
Cymbals III
28.
Cornet V
29
Trumpets
8th'
30th
Clairon
4 ′
31.
Cromorne
8th'
32.
Voix Humaine
8th'
Tremblant
III Récit expressif C – g 3
33.
Quintaton
16 ′
34.
Principal
8th'
35.
Cor de nuit
8th'
36.
Voix Celeste
8th'
37.
Octave
4 ′
38.
Flute
4 ′
39.
Flageolet
2 ′
40.
Plein jeu III / V
41.
Voix humaine
8th'
III Grand Coeur C – g 3
42.
Cornet V
43.
Basson
16 ′
44.
Trumpets
8th'
45.
Clairon
4 ′
46.
Basson-Hautbois
8th'
Tremblant
IV Solo C-g 3
47.
Montre
8th'
48.
Gemshorn
8th'
49.
Bourdon
8th'
50.
Octave
4 ′
51.
Nasard
2 2 ⁄ 3 ′
52.
Duplicate
2 ′
53.
Tierce
1 3 ⁄ 5 ′
54.
Piccolo
1'
55.
Plein-Jeu IV
56.
Trumpets
8th'
57.
Clarinet
8th'
Grande Pedals C – g 1
58.
Soubasse
32 ′
59.
Soubasse
16 ′
60.
Principal
16 ′
61.
Flute
16 ′
(Continued pedal)
62.
Dolce
8th'
63.
Octave
8th'
64.
Flute
8th'
65.
Fifth
5 1 ⁄ 3 ′
(Continued pedal)
66.
Octave
4 ′
67.
Flute
4 ′
68.
Bombard
16 ′
69.
Trumpets
8th'
70.
Clairon
4 ′
The cathedral has four chime bells housed in the west tower. The bells were cast by the Hildebrand bell foundry (Paris) in 1867 and hung in 1870. The “Bourdon”, the deepest bell in the clay, weighs almost four tons, has a diameter of 1.71 m and is the largest bell in the Languedoc-Roussillon region . The bells have the chimes as 0 , b 0 , c 1 and es 1 .
Bourdon "François"
Bell "Charles"
Bell "Nicole"
"Simone" bell
There are also three clock bells. They hang in a metal belfry on the top of the west tower. The clock bells were cast in 1730 by the bell founders Pierre Gor (Pézenas) and Jacques Gor (Montpellier) and have the chimes d 1 , a 1 and c sharp 1 .