©©villedemontauban Cathédrale|Ville de Montauban

Notre-Dame de l'Assomption Cathedral

located at the highest point in the city

What’s that big green roof you can see in the distance as we arrive in Montauban ?

A good reason to head back to the historic centre, to discover its secrets.

Please note that the cathedral is currently closed to the public, awaiting expert appraisal before it can be safely reopened!

A little history

The crowning glory of the old town centre, the monumental canopy perches at the top of the high steps. Its classical lines and the whiteness of its stonework stand in stark contrast to the surrounding brick houses. The four imposing statues of the évangélistes, gaze down at you from the top of the façade. The power of the monument remains intact. Step into the lair of this great lady, with her charged soul.

From the entrance, the 4 original statues of the Vangiers surprise you. The setting is elegant and the pure light floods the immense space with a sober gentleness. The vast nef is bathed in clear light, which peeks through the perfect arches of the tall windows.

For the curious

Open your eyes wide. Among the works conserved here, the most famous is Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres’ painting, Le Vœu de Louis XIII ». In 1820 the painter, a native of Montauban, was commissioned by the State to create this imposing tableau, intended to adorn the cathédrale. The subject is not an innocent one: Louis XIII, the unhappy sovereign forced to raise his siege in the face of the rebellious Montauban, is depicted here offering his kingdom to the Virgin Mary. It took Ingres more than four years to complete the painting. And it was Ingres himself who installed it in the cathedral in 1826!

©©montaubantourisme Vœu Louis Xiii|Montauban Tourisme

Did you know?

It was in 1685, at the end of the Wars of Religion, that Louis XIV decided to build this gigantic cathedral to assert his authority. After a fundraising drive, the site was chosen in 1691 on the Place des Monges. A number of houses were demolished to make way for the new building, positioned on the highest point of the town. At 87m long and 38m wide at the transept, the white Cathédrale tréternally overlooks the pink city.