Today, Dax boasts a wealth of historical and cultural heritage. Notre Dame Cathedral is one of them. This building is a must-see when visiting the Adour river. For Catholics, it is an emblem of religion for the people of Dax. As for the ordinary tourist, the cathedral is one of the city’s most imposing buildings and a must-see.
History of Dax Cathedral
Notre-Dame Sainte-Marie Cathedral is a Catholic place of worship located in Dax in the Landes département. Since 1946, it has been listed as a historic monument.
Originally, the great edifice we know today as Notre Dame Cathedral was no more than a small bourgeois chapel on the banks of the River Adour. But in 1045, it was replaced by a Romanesque cathedral, which was destroyed two centuries later. At the same time, a new Gothic-style building was erected on the same site. This too collapsed in 1646. This led to the idea of building the Notre Dame Cathedral, still standing today, in a more classical style.
Continue your sightseeing tour with a visit to the Dax bullring.
Cathedral details
Notre Dame Sainte-Marie Cathedral traces the history of Dax’s ecclesiastical buildings. One of the city’s most imposing buildings, it is 72 metres long and 40 metres wide. It boasts stunning architecture, paintings, stained glass windows, etc., to which it owes all its beauty.
As soon as you enter, you’ll notice the large overmantel door with its beautiful carvings. It is 12 metres high and 8 metres wide. As you enter, you’ll see a large arcade, a triforium and a large bay. The façade and the southern flank inside the building are almost cheerless, unlike the north, which has a more convivial appearance. At the crossing of the nave, there is a vault decorated with paintings. The canons’ stalls, meanwhile, charm the place. The Mazetti brothers, Swiss sculptors, took care to create the high altar and the Virgin’s altar in colored marble that blends perfectly with the decor. Notre Dame Cathedral’s 56-stop organ case is one of the most beautiful in France. The walls feature a number of spiritual paintings, including “Jesus and His Disciples”, a 16th-century work by Honthorst.
Don’t hesitate to visit Dax Cathedral during your vacation in the Landes, or discover theAbbey of St Jean de Sorde.
