Sunday, June 29, 2014

Cathedrale St-Vincent, St-Malo, France

The cathedral of St-Malo is dedicated to St. Vincent. Construction began in the 12th century and was finally completed in the 18th. The architecture thus has many influences.

Cathedrale St-Vincent, St-Malo

The nave shows the church's Romanesque beginnings while the choir is more Gothic in flavor. The contrasting lighting is just one clue.

Romanesque nave leading into the bright Gothic choir

In the floor of the nave has the tomb of Jacques Cartier, a French explorer from St-Malo who traveled in the 1500s and claimed Canada for France.

Jacques Cartier tomb

The church has many fine statues all over the place, including a moving pieta and the 15th century statue of Our Lady of the Grand Port.

Pieta

Notre-Dame de la Grand-Porte

A bishop's tomb?

J by a tomb?

The church has two baptismal fonts, one clearly more ancient than the other.

More modern baptismal font

More ancient baptismal font

Another interesting decoration is a boat. It's a model of Rene Duguay Trouin's boat. He was baptized in the cathedral. Later he became a successful privateer and naval officer, rising to the rank of admiral.

Trouin's trawler

The church also has a nice organ, though we didn't hear it played.

The organ

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