Cultural sightseeing in France. What to visit - museums, temples, castles and palaces

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » According to the chronicles, the building was constructed in the 5th century. Later, militant nomads destroyed it. The Catholic monastery was rebuilt in the 11th century.
»  The dwelling is named after the warrior and martyr St. Victor who lived in the 3rd century. It was executed upon the order of the nobles for his refusal to participate in the rite of sacrificing to gods.
»  In the abbey, there is a preserved crypt with bishops’ relics dating back approximately to the 4th century.
»  There is the Black Madonna in the form of the ebony statuette. It is displayed to celebrate the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Parishioners light green candles symbolizing hope.
»  Today, the monastery is not working. However, its church still welcomes visitors.
»  The building is fenced with the notched protective wall. The Abbey of Saint Victor resembles a fortification with its exterior: it has thick walls with loopholes and rectangular towers. There is a bell on one of it. The exterior is plain.
»  During the French Revolution, the halls of the abbey were turned into a barn where prisoners were detained. There were also barracks for soldiers.
»  There is the altar of white marble (the 5th century), the sculpture of the Great Martyr, and the organ.
»  You need to go through the arched stone doorway to get inside.

» The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere is a landmark of Lyon that is under the protection of UNESCO. It is located on top of the Fourviere hill and seen from any parts of the city.
»  The basilica was built in 1168 at the site of an old church. When it was destroyed, the chapel remained undamaged and has survived to this day.
»  The magnificent church with four towers and a belfry has two naves. The upper one is decorated with stained glass windows, sculptures, and mosaics. In the basement, there is the crypt of St. Joseph. The basilica was completed only in 1964.
»  The chapel preserved since ancient times was restored in 1845. Its top is decorated with the huge golden statue of the Virgin Mary. Exactly in this chapel, Anne of Austria prayed for the birth of a son in 1630.

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » In the basilica, services visited by worshipers living outside the city. Industrialists donated to its construction.
»  It started to be built in the 14th century. The construction lasted over 2 centuries. The bell tower is 114 m high.
»  When it was reconstructed in 1791, 70 graves were found in the basement of the basilica. The bodies were well preserved in the clay soil. Mummies were deposited in the crypt of the cathedral. In 1990, the remains were buried at the city cemetery.
»  Its exterior is decorated with multiple prolonged stone arches. You can see openwork patterns on them. Above the entrance, there is a decorative element in the form of the outlet with floral ornaments.
»  The inner space is divided into 17 sectors. Each one is dedicated to particular craftsmen. Here, you can see old items and canvasses telling about past epochs. In one of the rooms, you can see the wooden altar of the 17th century. In the anglers’ sector, there is the statue of St. Catherin, the patroness of sailors.
»  The central room is 75 m long, 38 m wide, and 23 m high. The hallway leads to the open gallery with an organ in it.
»  22 bells proclaim the beginning of the service.

» The cathedral was first mentioned in the chronicles of 902. It was recognized as the Church of the Virgin Mary.
»  During the excavations in 1989, it was found out that there had already been a religious building at the site of the modern cathedral. It was constructed in the 3rd century. A room where people were baptized was found here.
»  In the 4th century, there was a clergymen’s residence.
»  In the 13th century, the complex of several constructions (a parish church, a cathedral, and a courtyard) was built.
»  The church was completed and rebuilt of different materials in different periods of history.
»  The lower level dates back to the 12th century. It is limestone. The upper level is brick. There is also a quadrangular belfry. The spire of the tower is 17 m high. There are arched windows at all the levels. Higher levels have more windows.
»  At the side of the building, there are sarcophagi with the remains of heirs to the throne.
»  In the hall, there is a 14-meter altar that dates back to the 15th century. A wooden carved table in the middle of the altar was made in the 18th century.
»  Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Grenoble is located on the Square of the Mother of God.

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » The Prince of Grenoble dreamed of showing his superiority over the head of the religious community. The Cathedral of Saint Andrew was built upon his order.
»  So, the church was consecrated in honor of the apostle, intercessor, and patron of Guigues VI.
»  The building was much more important and bigger than the modern one. It belonged to clergymen and did not formally obey the bishop.
»  Here, the heir to the king found burial places for himself and his successors. There was a sarcophagus with remains until the shrine had been looted by militant Protestant Huguenots in the 16th century.
»  The foundation is supported by limestone blocks. Upper walls are brick. The octagonal spire of the bell tower is 56 m high. Four small bells are covered with silver tuff.
»  In the 14th century, a clock was mounted to the tower. At that time, it was the first tower clock in the city. Its hands resemble dolphins.
»  Bordeaux Cathedral is built in the Gothic style that features narrow lancet vaults, a unique structure, and high windows.
»  The house is unusual and resembles a magical palace but not a religious building.

» The Church of St. George is a traditional building. It was erected in the neo-Gothic style (the movement dates back to the Middle Ages), which is reflected in the facing of the building.
»  It was originally named the Church of Eulalia in honour of a 13-year-old girl ranked among the Christian martyrs in the Roman Empire.
»  The invasion by Saracens, nomadic robbers, damaged the building.
»  In the 14th century, it became the main house of the Hospitallers. This Christian organization took care of the poor, but parishioners could attend the temple.
»  Restoration works began in 802. It is mentioned as a divine place in Bishop Leidrad’s letter.
»  The church was restored in the 9th century. The temple was reconstructed in 1844.
»  French architect Pierre Bossan created a through stone pattern around the perimeter of the building. The interior of the elongated room is partly decorated with 19th-century drawings and sculptures by renowned craftsman Charles Dufraine.
»  The building is made of red brick. It consists of the main hall. A two-level rectangular tower was built onto it. The exterior of the church is not replete with stucco decorations, which makes the building look strict.

» The 76-meter church is distinguished by two thin spires. They are thin not by accident and emphasize the height and significance of the construction.
»  It also features 16 entrances. Originally, the building served as the house of worship for German military units in the city. There are 16 entrance doors, just like garrisons.
»  During the service, the building can accommodate up to 3 000 worshipers.
»  There are two lodges on both sides of the pedestal for the choir. One of them is used by the Emperor’s family and the other one - by the city authorities.
»  There are separation hallways inside. Between them, there are wooden seats for worshipers.
»  Wall panels are decorated with religious paintings.
»  The picture created by stained glass windows depicts Christ and his followers. The original windows have not been preserved. Some of them were broken by airstrikes during the Second World War. The heavy hail broke the extant ones. All the stained glass windows of the church are new.
»  The sonority of the organ (1897) was not enough for St. Paul Cathedral. It had been restored for 6 months.
»  It started to be built in 1892.
»  The construction lasted 5 years.

» There was the Apostle Peter’s Sanctuary at the site of the modern cathedral. It was mentioned in the chronicles of the 6th century.
»  In the 12th century, the chapel was built here. There are preserved medieval gravestones found at the church cemetery. Nowadays, they are transferred to the museum for storage. It turns out that the English nationals were buried here when the region was a part of England.
»  The western wall with Gothic windows has been preserved.
»  The building you can see today was built in the 14th-15th centuries. There are a preserved altar and the sculpture of the 17th century. It represents the Mother of God mourning Jesus (the Virgin Mary with dead Christ on her knees).
»  One of the canvasses (1664) is situated in the niche to the left of the bell tower. The painting depicts St. Peter taking the keys of the gate of heaven.
»  Other interior elements date back to the 19th century.
»  Stained glass windows are very interesting. On the glass, you can see scenes from Apostle Peter’s life. He patronizes the cathedral.
»  The city cathedral has been the historic monument of the French cultural heritage.