Toulouse Cathedral

The first mention of a temple built on this site dates back to 844. Two centuries later, the temple was reconstructed by the order of the local bishop. And in a rebuilt form, it existed until the 13th century.

The construction of the cathedral took several centuries, which was bound to affect its appearance. The building turned out to be rather nonuniform, as well as quite asymmetrical.

The oldest part of the cathedral is in the style of Southern Gothic. It is evident from the rose window attributed to this style. Another part of the temple is in the style of Northern Gothic and resembles other famous European temples. By the way, the cathedral can accommodate more than 2000 people.

Saint-Etienne Cathedral (Toulouse Cathedral) is decorated with 19th-century stained glass windows. The western facade is asymmetrical as it consists of two separate churches that have never been completed. The first one appeared in the early 13th century and the second one – about half a century later. In the middle of the 15th century, the temple got a western portal in Flamboyant. As a result, its tower became a combination of Gothic and Romanesque styles.

In the 15th century, all the parts of the cathedral were connected haphazardly. At the beginning of the 17th century, Toulouse Cathedral burned down. So it had to be partially rebuilt from ground zero.

A door resembling the western entrance appeared in the cathedral only in the middle of the 20th century.

The cathedral interior is also mixed. In total, the church has 17 chapels. The oldest of them is 9 centuries old.

The interior is also decorated with tapestries, which are rarely found in churches. Moreover, weaving was not widespread in Toulouse at that time. It is believed that the tapestries were brought from Flanders, which actively traded with Toulouse.