Cathedral in Toulouse

The inhabitants of Toulouse jokingly call the Cathedral of St. Etienne “the unfinished cathedral”. The reason for this nickname was the very history of the cathedral, the construction of which lasted for several centuries. Some researchers believe that the modern cathedral is located on the site of the chapel, built in the III century, but there is no evidence of this - excavations at this place were not carried out. The second version says that there was an ancient church of the early IX century, but its traces have not yet been revealed.

The construction of the Cathedral of St. Etienne continued in the period from the XI to the XVII centuries, but some architectural elements remained unfinished due to the banal lack of funds. The asymmetrical western pediment was formed due to the fact that the cathedral was built, combining two unfinished churches. One of them dates from the XIII century and is characterized by a massive stained glass window-rose. The second church began to be built in 1272, but soon the construction stopped and was abandoned until 1445. These two designs were connected by a portal made in the Gothic style.

Inside the cathedral there is an interesting collection of tapestries of the XVI-XVII centuries, telling about the life of St. Etienne. On the site in front of the cathedral is a fountain built in the XVI century, it is considered the oldest in France.