Notre-Dame de l'Assomption Cathedral

located at the highest point of the city

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

A good reason to head for the historic center, to discover its secrets.

A little history

The highest point in the old town, here it stands, monumental, perched at the top of the great steps. Its classical lines and white stonework stand in stark contrast to the surrounding brick houses. The four imposing statues of the Evangelists look down on you from the top of the façade. The monument’s vocation of power remains intact. Step into the lair of this great lady of the soul.

As soon as you enter, the 4 original statues of the Evangelists take you by surprise. The resonance is celestial, and the pure light floods the immense space with a sober gentleness. The vast nave is bathed in clear light, which penetrates under the perfect arches of the tall windows.

For the curious

Open your eyes wide. Among the works preserved here, the most famous is Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres’ painting, ” Le Vœu de Louis XIII” (The Vow of Louis XIII ). In 1820, the Montauban-born painter was commissioned by the French government to paint this imposing canvas for the cathedral. The subject was not an innocent one: Louis XIII, the unhappy sovereign forced to lift the siege on rebellious Montauban, is depicted here offering his kingdom to the Virgin. It took Ingres more than four years to complete the painting. And it was Ingres himself who installed it in the cathedral in 1826!

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 fund-raising campaign, the site was chosen in 1691 on the Place des Monges. Several blocks of houses were demolished to make way for the new edifice, positioned on the highest point of the city. 87 m long and 38 m wide at the transept, the white cathedral sits eternally enthroned over the pink city.