Cathedral St. Étienne, Limoges, France
The number 87002 appears at the upper left corner on the reverse of this used postcard recently sent by a friend. The Editions René – J. Forestier photograph shows the Cathedral St. Étienne on the right, situated on the hill above the town.
St. Étienne’s (St. Stephen’s in English) is located in Limoges south of the river Loire in France. It is a Gothic and Romanesque style cathedral that was constructed over centuries by several different building campaigns. Beginning in the 3rd century and onwards there are been religious buildings on this site thought to have been created by Saint Martial, the first bishop of Limoges as the first Christian community. Around the 5th century the basilica was dedicated to Saint Stephen (St. Étienne), the first Christian martyr. Fragments of early low-reliefs, Roman inscriptions, and marble columns suggest that this site may have been anciently used as a Roman temple, palace or villa before becoming a Christian church.
The Romanesque part of the cathedral was begun by bishop Alduin in about 1013. Pope Urban II consecrated the cathedral in 1095 on his return from the Council of Claremont where he had launched the first crusade. There were fires in 1074 and 1105 that damaged some of the exposed framework and required the construction of barrel vaults. Only the crypt and the three lower stories of the tower remain today. Part of the crypt has been filled in to support the bases and Gothic pillars. The walls of the crypt have 12th century murals. It is still used as a burial place for the bishops of Limoges; however, the crypt is no longer open to the public.
Many thanks to to my friend who sent this card and several others that will be shared over the next few weeks.
For additional information, see:
https://www.cathedrale-limoges.fr/the-romanesque-period.html
[note: there is an English translation option available]
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