Gap Cathedral

Gap Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Arnoux de Gap) is a Roman Catholic church located in the town of Gap, Hautes-Alpes, France. It is a national monument, and is the seat of the Bishop of Gap and Embrun.

The current cathedral was built between 1866 and 1905 in Neo-Gothic style by architect Charles Laisné on the site of a former mediaeval cathedral.

History
The original cathedral on the site was built around the 5th century on the ruins of a Roman temple to the God Apollo. Over the years several buildings stood at the same spot. Forty-one different types of stone were chosen for the construction, showing Byzantine influence. Roman and Gothic styles were also chosen, as was common during this era for a sombre and harmonious feeling at the same time.

The clock tower stands at 64 meters high and contains four clocks.

Consecrated on September 2, 1895, the day of Saint-Arnoux, who was Bishop of Gap during the 11th century and is the patron saint of the Gap. The cathedral was classified as an Historical Monument on August 9, 1906.