Castres Cathedral

Historic building in Languedoc, France

43°36′15″N 2°14′30″E / 43.60417°N 2.24167°E / 43.60417; 2.24167ArchitectureTypechurchGroundbreaking14th centuryCompleted17th century

Castres Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Benoît de Castres), now the Roman Catholic church of Saint Benoît (Saint Benedict), is a historical religious building in Castres, Languedoc, France.

It was formerly the seat of the bishop of Castres, but the diocese was not restored after the French Revolution and was added by the Concordat of 1801 to the Archdiocese of Albi.

The first cathedral was built in the 14th century after the creation of the diocese of Castres in 1317, along with a number of other dioceses created in the region after the suppression of the Albigensians. It was destroyed during the French Wars of Religion.

The present building which replaced it was constructed in the 16th and 17th centuries.

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