Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms
On Gingerguide's self-guided Avignon audio tour, Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms is a stop worth about ~45 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type religious
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Avignon Avignon guide
About Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms
Avignon's mainly Romanesque cathedral, built in the 12th century beside the Palais des Papes and crowned since 1859 by a huge gilded statue of the Virgin Mary.
Cathedrale Notre-Dame des Doms is the Roman Catholic cathedral of Avignon and the seat of its archdiocese, standing on the slope of the Rocher des Doms beside the Palais des Papes. It is mainly Romanesque, built chiefly in the second half of the 12th century as a single-nave Provencal church, with side chapels added between the 14th and 17th centuries and later Gothic and Baroque work. The upper part of the bell tower was rebuilt in the 15th century, completed in 1425.
A large gilded statue of the Virgin Mary, of gilded lead and weighing about 4.5 tonnes, was placed on the tower in 1859 and regilded for the Jubilee of 2000. Inside stands the Gothic mausoleum of Pope John XXII, who died in 1334. Neglected and damaged during the Revolution, the cathedral was reconsecrated in 1822 and raised to a minor basilica in 1854. It forms part of the episcopal ensemble inscribed by UNESCO in 1995.
Did you know? The gilded Virgin crowning the bell tower looks ancient but dates only to 1859, part of a 19th-century revival of Marian devotion rather than the medieval Romanesque church beneath her.
How much time do you need at Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms?
Around ~45 min works well for Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms?
Yes — Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms made the cut as one of 13 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Avignon. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Avignon
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms and read more:
Day 1 of the Avignon in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms
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