Le Havre Cathedral, Catholic cathedral in Le Havre, France.
Le Havre Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church whose main body was built from the last quarter of the 16th century to the second quarter of the 17th century, mixing Flamboyant Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical elements. Its pale stone facade has a rounded gable with a tall traceried window and three green doors, while the square tower with corner buttresses, a clock and a dark conical roof stands to the right. Inside, the tall nave has ribbed stone vaulting on pointed arches, stained-glass windows above dark wooden panelling, and statues on brackets between the windows.
The present church was built mainly between the last quarter of the 16th century and the second quarter of the 17th century, replacing earlier modest chapels. It mixes Flamboyant Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical styles. Badly damaged by the bombing of 5 September 1944, it was saved by Auguste Perret and included in his rebuilt city centre, listed by UNESCO on 15 July 2005. It became a cathedral on 6 July 1974.
The church was the main parish of Le Havre, receiving donations from residents, the municipality and the king. Its Marian dedication continues a local devotion to Notre-Dame-de-Grâce that predates the founding of the city in 1517 and was carried by sailors and fishermen around the Seine estuary. The organ was a gift of Cardinal de Richelieu in 1637, when he was governor of the town.
The cathedral stands in the rebuilt centre designed by Auguste Perret, a short walk from the town hall. It is an active parish and the bishop's seat since 1974, so visits are best timed outside Mass. Restoration work has been ongoing for decades, and parts of the building may be screened off.
The bell tower, dating from around 1520, is older than the rest of the church, which was built mainly from the last quarter of the 16th century to the second quarter of the 17th. The low height of the building is explained by the unstable ground of the coastal city.
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