Mende’s Cathedral, monumental Gothic building in Gévaudan-Lozère, South France

Visite guidée du centre-historique de Mende

Beautiful outside :

Built in the regional blond limestone, the cathedral plays with the sun which highlights its imposing volumes.
Its two bell towers bring an impressive monumentality to the whole, the great bell tower rises to 84 meters !
The large bell tower, whose size and richness of ornamentation testify to the conflict between the bishop and his canons, contrasts with the sobriety of the whole.
Only the neo-Gothic portals echo it, moreover the porch of the western facade is one of the last elements built by the State on a cathedral since it is completed in 1907!

& Beautiful inside

Here, the architecture is discreet, it is a setting for an exceptional furniture: Virgin of the twelfth, portrait of Urbain of the fourteenth, organ and stalls of the seventeenth century, tapestry of Aubusson of 1707… And of course the winner of the “Non-Pareille“! (unrivalled).
This bell, of which only the clapper remains today, was the largest of all Christendom at the time of its realization in 1516!
Installed in the large bell tower, it was heard more than 10 km around!
Notre-Dame et Saint-Privat Cathedral is home to priceless treasures that alone deserve a visit!

Tableau Resurection Lazare (XVIIè) - Cathédrale de Mende

Représentation Urbain V (XIVe) - cathédrale de Mende

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The Cathedral

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360° view of the Cathedral

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Self-guided tour of Mende Cathedral

You are passing through Mende and want to discover the city at your own pace and without guides, you can get the brochure «Circuit du Patrimoine de Mende» from the Tourist Office.
This brochure will take you on a small circuit of 28 stages in the city center and will also show you what to discover in its cathedral. Download the Mende Heritage brochure.

Watch out! Some places are only accessible to the public during guided tours (old pharmacy, town’s wedding hall, bell tower of the cathedral, and other small surprises…).
Find out at the Tourist Office.

En haut du Clocher de la Cathédrale de Mende

Guided tour of Mende Cathedral:

Guided tour in summer:
Nothing like a tour guide to help you discover the heritage of Mende from a cultural and friendly angle.
The Tourist Office organizes guided tours of the historic center throughout the summer.
These visits can be thematic (musical visits, two-voice visits, fifties visits, contradictory visits,…) or classic.

Off-season guided tour:
Groups and individuals can book a guided tour by contacting the Mende Tourist Office.

Check out the rates

Book a visite

Small tip to book your guide:

The earlier you do it, the more likely you are to have a guide available.

Visit for people who has reduced mobility.

The Cathedral has 3 entrances:

The south door, located on Place Chaptal (on the right on the map) is accessible to people in wheelchairs.
The parish is located opposite this entrance in case it is necessary to open the door wide and thus shift the bottom of the door.

However, the West and North doors (respectively place Urbain V at the bottom of the plan and rue de la Rovère at the left of the plan) are not recommended because they have stairs.

The visits to the Cathedral, whether guided or free (with the explanatory brochure of the Tourist Office) are therefore quite accessible to people with reduced mobility.