ANGOULÊME CATHEDRAL
A first cathedral was built on the site of a primitive, pre-Christian sanctuary, in the 4th century AD. The edifice was destroyed when the town was taken by Clovis after the Battle of Vouillé, in 507. Another cathedral was consecrated in 560, but this was set on fire by the Vikings/Normans some two centuries later. A third cathedral was then constructed in 1017. However, at the beginning of the 12th century the citizens started to consider it too small for to the wealth of the county. The designer was Bishop Gerard II, one of the most important French figures of the time. Works began about 1110 and finished in 1128.
The church's original appearance was modified in the following centuries. One of the bell towers, for example, was destroyed during the Wars of Religion of the 16th century. Further alterations were made during the restorations by Paul Abadie in 1866-1885, including the addition of the two towers with conical tops, but the façade remains mostly medieval.
The façade is decorated by more than 70 sculptures, organized into two decorative themes: the Ascension and the Last Judgement. Christ is portrayed within aureola, while two tall angels address the apostles to show them the celestial vision. The sculptors portrayed scenes of everyday life.
The interior of the nave is covered with three domes, a transept, and an apsidal choir. At the crossing with the transept is a larger dome, which has replaced the original one destroyed in the Protestant siege of 1568. The semi-circular choir is flanked by small apses and covered by a half dome.
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