Bayonne Cathedral

Lore & Background

The site previously held a Romanesque cathedral destroyed by fires in 1258 and 1310. Construction of the present Gothic cathedral began in the 13th century and was completed at the beginning of the 17th, except for the two spires, which were finished in the 19th century. The structure was much restored and refurbished by Émile Boeswildwald, a pupil of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.

The cathedral contains the relics of Saint Leo of Bayonne, a 9th-century Bishop of Bayonne and evangelizer of the Basque Country. It stands on the Pilgrimage Way of Santiago de Compostela and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998 as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.

The north tower houses a ring of five bells. The bourdon, named Jacques, was cast in 2003 by the Cornille-Havard bellfoundry, offered by the city of Bayonne and the French Government. It is polychromic, painted with symbols by Marc-Antoine Orellana, making it one of the very few polychromic bells in France. Its yoke is an asymmetrically sculpted oak piece incrusted with bronze and polychrome.

Reader's Guide

Bayonne Cathedral is significant as a Gothic cathedral that replaced an earlier Romanesque structure destroyed by fire, and as the seat of the bishops of Bayonne, Lescar, and Oloron. Its construction spanned from the 13th to the 19th century, with notable 19th-century restorations by Émile Boeswildwald, a pupil of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. The cathedral's inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998 as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France underscores its importance as a pilgrimage site. The cathedral also houses the relics of Saint Leo of Bayonne, a 9th-century bishop and evangelizer of the Basque Country. Its bell tower contains a ring of five bells, including the polychromic bourdon Jacques, cast in 2003 and decorated by Marc-Antoine Orellana, which is one of the few painted bells in France. Archaeological remains found during construction of the public library indicate that bells were cast in the city during the cathedral's creation. The cathedral's legacy is tied to its long construction history, its role in the pilgrimage route, and its unique bell.

Did You Know?

• The bourdon bell Jacques, cast in 2003, is one of the very few polychromic bells in France.
• Archaeological remains found during construction of the public library show that bells were cast in the city itself during the creation of the cathedral.