Uzès - St.-Théodorit

Uzès was a small Gallo-Roman oppidum near the huge Roman aqueduct, today named Pont du Gard.
In the early 8th century, Uzès was a fortified civitas and bishopric under the Archbishop of Narbonne. During the Saracen invasion, Uzès became a stronghold of the Saracens and in 736 Charles Martel besieged the, but it remained in Saracen hands up to 752. A year later the former stronghold rebelled against the Franks - unsuccessfully.

The romanesque cathedral Saint-Théodorit was destroyed within the Cathar Crusade, was rebuilt but destroyed again during the Wars of Religion. The church of today was constructed within the 17th century. Just the 12th-century bell-tower, named today "Tour Fenestrelle" survived the centuries (though "reconstructed" in the higher levels). The tower is round - and seems to be a very close cousin of the Italian campaniles.