France - Lisieux, Cathédrale Saint-Pierre

Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Lisieux (Saint Peter’s Cathedral) was the seat of the Bishop of Lisieux until the diocese of Lisieux was merged in 1801 into the diocese of Bayeux.

Most probably there was already a church here in the 6th century. This is because a Bishop of Lisieux existed around that time. A previous cathedral, built in the Romanesque style, was unfortunately burned down in 1136. The basic shape of the church, especially the front part, stayed the same. Rebuilding of the cathedral started around 1160. In 1226, another fire damaged the cathedral. During the repairs three small chapels were added to the back of the church.

The cathedral is about 110 meters long. It is considered a national monument in France. The front of the building has three main doorways. Above these doorways are two towers. The tower on the south side was built in the 16th century; it has a tall, pointed spire. The north tower collapsed in 1554.

Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Lisieux survived World War II completely unharmed. This is quite amazing, as the town of Lisieux itself suffered from allied bombing in 1944.