Bordeaux, land of Romanesque art

“I am delighted to visit this city of France, which is elegance personified” , Elizabeth II of England on the occasion of her official visit on 12th June 1992.

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“I am delighted to visit this city of France, which is elegance personified” , Elizabeth II of England on the occasion of her official visit on 12th June 1992.

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Three monuments in Bordeaux are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites: Saint-André Cathedral and the Saint-Seurin and Saint-Michel Basilicas.

The Saint-Seurin Basilica is the oldest church in Bordeaux, dating back to the 6^th century. It includes an 11^th -century crypt containing the tomb of Saint-Fort, Merovingian sarcophagi, and a vast Christian necropolis with sepultures dating from the 4^th to the 18^th century. According to legend, it was here that Charlemagne left Roland’s horn after the defeat at Roncevalles.

CDT 33 - Yannick Serrano

Saint-André Cathedral may be a jewel of gothic art, but it is of Romanesque origin. Consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1096, it was the scene of Eleanor of Aquitaine’s marriage to Louis VII, future King of France, in 1137.

The Pey-Berland Tower, with its 231 steps, stands apart from the rest of the edifice, and provides some of the very finest panoramic views over Bordeaux and its surroundings.

The Saint-Michel Basilica once sheltered a major confraternity of pilgrims along the Way of Saint James. It houses a chapel dedicated to Saint James, a 15^th -century statue of the Saint, and a pilgrim’s tombstone.