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Saint Pierre Cathedral in Angoulême has the particularity of being Romanesque and not Gothic like in so many other cities in France.

Historical monument since 1840

The exceptional quality of its architecture and its sculpted program make this 12th century Romanesque building an essential destination for lovers of medieval art. Its restoration – begun in 2008 – is now complete, providing an opportunity for an exciting (re)discovery.


It is the work of Girard de Blay, a powerful bishop of the early 12th century who wanted to make the cathedral the showcase and symbol of his ambitions. The construction site lasted from 1110 until Girard's death in 1136.
In the 19th century, the cathedral owed its preservation to Paul Abadie fils (1812 – 1884). The architect – who was also the architect of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Montmartre in Paris – tirelessly directed the first major restoration works from 1852 to 1875.


About twenty meters high, the screen facade with arcades, featuring several dozen sculpted figures, is a masterpiece of Romanesque art from the South-West.

Like a nod to today's Angoulême...

It evokes a large illustrated book where characters surrounded by arcades form the beginnings of a very first comic strip! Romanesque architecture is said to be a result of experimentation. The interior of Saint-Pierre Cathedral shows us once again! There is no dark barrel-vaulted nave or narrow aisles here… everything is light, space and amplitude.
Thanks to the restorations undertaken at the cathedral by the companions of Saint-Jacques, the unconsecrated spaces of the south arm of the transept were chosen to house a Treasury whose collections of liturgical art objects bear witness to the popular fervour of the 19th century.

The scenography of the Treasury was entrusted to one of the most prominent French contemporary artists on the international scene, the visual artist Jean Michel Othoniel. He imagined a route in three stations, from the Saint-Thibaut chapel to the bell tower room and magnified the collections in extravagant pearl furnishings.