Saint Maurice Cathedral

Saint Maurice Cathedral is an architectural jewel and a symbol of Vienne. The first cathedral was built in the 4th century AD, on the site of the current building, inside the inner Gallo-Roman city wall.
A few relics of Saint Maurice, notably his head, were brought to the cathedral in the early 8th century. Veneration of the relics was encouraged by the piety and generosity of several Carolingian rulers (Boso, in the 9th century) and kings of Burgundy (10-11th centuries).
Inside the cathedral, the fine harmony of the naves does not completely conceal the successive building projects taking place from the 12th century to the 16th century. The successive master builders sought to include the older sculpted elements: fragments of Gallo-Roman architecture (such as the lintel with its griffins on the northern door or the twisted columns inside the building) and the Romanesque arcatures which were placed above the Gothic chapels.
The cathedral was scarcely completed when it fell victim to pillaging and destruction arising from the Wars of Religion (1561, 1562, 1567). Since the second half of the 19th century, important restoration work has been carried out to repair the damage due to trickling water and the deterioration of materials, especially to the molasse stone.