St. Stephen's Cathedral, Besançon

The St. Stephen's Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Besançon) was a Roman Catholic church located in Besançon on the site of the current Citadel of Besançon in Franche-Comté, eastern France.

St. Stephen's Cathedral
Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Besançon
47°13′53″N 6°01′57″E
LocationBesançon, Franche-Comté, eastern France
Architecture
Architectural typechurch
Years builtBetween 326 CE and the fifth century
Closed1668

The cathedral was thought to be constructed between 326 CE and the fifth century. Between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, a debate was raised between the original St. Stephen's Cathedral and the St. Jean's Cathedral. Hugues de Salins, who redesigned the St. Jean's Cathedral, also led the reconstruction plans for St. Stephen's Cathedral between 1033 and 1050. It was intended to coexist with the St. Jean's Cathedral, despite that Cathedral having more power in the elections of archbishops.[1]

In 1092, the cathedral complained after believing that it had been stripped of its precedence, despite the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Besançon believing this cathedral was the main one of Besançon.[1] In 1238, this cathedral was excommunicated due to its attacks against St. Jean's Cathedral, but between 1253 and 1254, Archbishop Guillaume de la Tour unified the two chapters, a decision which was ratified by Pope Innocent IV on 1 August 1254.[2]

After the Battle of Besançon in 1575, masses were held at this cathedral and the St. Jean's Cathedral to celebrate the Catholic victory against the Protestants.[3]

From 1668 to 1675, St. Stephen's Cathedral was abandoned. It was later planned that the cathedral was to be destroyed to allow for the construction of the Citadel of Besançon, along with some surrounding houses,[4] after Franche-Comté was given to Louis XIV of France in the Treaties of Nijmegen.[5] However, it was decided that the cathedral was not to be destroyed, but after an accidental fire, construction of the citadel began.[2] The St. Jean's Cathedral currently contains eight paintings from this cathedral from the tenth and eleventh centuries,[6] and an eight-lobed marble altar now known as the Rose of Saint John.

References
  1. de Vregille, Bernard (2006). La cathédrale Saint-Jean de Besançon (in French). Renaissance du Vieux Besançon. p. 11. OCLC 432294179.
  2. de Vregille, Bernard (2006). La cathédrale Saint-Jean de Besançon (in French). Renaissance du Vieux Besançon. p. 13. OCLC 432294179.
  3. Rougebief, Eugène (1851). Histoire de la Franche-Comté ancienne et moderne: précédée d'une description de cette province (in French). University of Lausanne.
  4. Les Cahiers de la renaissance du Vieux Besançon (in French). Association pour la renaissance du Vieux Besançon. 1996. ISSN 1276-6771. OCLC 473185377.
  5. Horne, Alistair (2004). La Belle France (in French). Vintage. p. 164. ISBN 978-1-4000-3487-1.
  6. "Monuments historiques" (in French). Government of France. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
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