Aix Cathedral: France’s Unusual Landmark

Aix Cathedral: France’s Unusual Landmark
The west side of Aix Cathedral features a Gothic façade with intricate carvings and ornate details. The exterior combines various architectural styles, with Romanesque stone walls and flat square yellowish buttresses topped with pinnacles, contrasting with the central structure of the portal. Sergey Dzyuba/Shutterstock
Ariane Triebswetter
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Aix Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Holy Savior (“Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur”), is located in the heart of the charming city of Aix-en-Provence in the south of France.

The site was considered sacred for thousands of years. Legends say it was a pre-Roman pagan temple, then a Roman temple, and eventually, the site of a Christian church. According to Christian tradition, St. Maximinus of Aix built a chapel on the site dedicated to the Holy Savior. The chapel was destroyed in succeeding centuries; the present cathedral replaced the chapel in the 12th century. It took almost 200 years to finish the Cathedral, which explains the varied architectural styles in Aix Cathedral today.

Ariane Triebswetter
Ariane Triebswetter
Author
Ariane Triebswetter is an international freelance journalist, with a background in modern literature and classical music.
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