Castres Cathedral

Castres Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Saint-Benoît de Castres), now the Roman Catholic church of Saint Benoît (Saint Benedict), is an historical religious building in Castres, Languedoc, France. Now a parish church, it was formerly the seat of the bishop of Castres. The diocese was not restored after the French Revolution but was added by the Concordat of 1801 to the Archdiocese of Albi.

Castres Cathedral Cathédrale Saint-Benoît de Castres
Castres Cathedral
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic Church
Province	Bishop of Castres
Region	Languedoc
Rite	Roman Rite
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Cathedral
Status	Active
Location
Location	Castres, France
Interactive map of Castres Cathedral Cathédrale Saint-Benoît de Castres
Coordinates
Architecture
Type	church
Groundbreaking	14th century
Completed	17th century

The first cathedral was originally the church of the Benedictine Bellecelle Abbey, which was elevated to be the episcopal seat of the diocese of Castres, newly created in 1317, along with a number of other dioceses created in the region after the suppression of the Albigensians. It was destroyed by the Huguenots in the 1570s, apart from the bell tower, which survives. After two reconstructions were started and demolished uncompleted during the 17th century, the present building was begun in 1678 and brought to a point in the early 18th century where it was possible to consecrate the cathedral and put it to use, although the building has never been completed..

• 
  The nave and the choir
• 
  The choir
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  The high altar with canopy, supported by Caunes marble columns; work of E. Lagon, Castres architect and sculptor
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  Choir ceiling.
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  Baroque pulpit, commissioned in 1692
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  The nave seen from the choir.

External links

• Location