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A little history of Saint-Bénigne cathedral in Dijon

The chevet | François de Dijon / CC-BY-SA
Cathedral Saint-Bénigne cathedral in Dijon

Bénigne? He was apostle of Burgundy in the 3th century. Bishop of Langres saint Grégoire raised a crypt in the beginning of the 6th century where he put Bénigne's relics.

The new bishop of Langres rebuilt the church in 990, a kind of big rotunda. In February 1272, one of the bell-towers fell, destroying the crypt vaults. Phew... Relics weren't damaged.

In 1281, they completely re-raised the church. The building site began: the choir was completed in 6 years. In 1308, the southern tower was almost completed.

In the middle of the 15th century, Charny-Bauffremont family raised the 12 apostles' chapel (which was the sacristy until the French Revolution...).

Then Saint-Bénigne was demolished during wars of Religion... and in 1651, monks of Saint-Maur congregation moved in there.

But what happened with the bell-tower and its spire? Well... violent storms destroyed them, so carpenters Sauvestre and Linacier from Dijon rebuilt them in 1742.

About the the author

Vinaigrette
I'm fond of strolls and History, with juicy and spicy details!