Cathedral of Saint-Just and Saint-Pasteur, Narbonne

St Just and St Pastor Cathedral, in Narbonne

St Just and St Pastor Cathedral is a masterpiece of the Gothic, famous for its choir of dizzying height and its incompletion. The Narbonne audio-guided tour stops here, with respect, to evoke this major sanctuary, neighbour of the Archbishops' Palace.

The dizzying and unfinished Gothic choir

St Just and St Pastor Cathedral is one of the most impressive Gothic buildings of the south of France. Its construction, begun in the thirteenth century, was never completed: only the choir was built, but what a choir! It rises to a dizzying height, among the highest Gothic vaults of France, supported by imposing flying buttresses. The nave, which should have extended it, was never built, giving the ensemble its singular and unfinished character. Inside, the cathedral keeps remarkable treasures: tapestries, altarpieces, old stained-glass windows and a rich treasury. Linked to the Archbishops' Palace, it testifies to the power of the Church in Narbonne. A major sanctuary, the cathedral is discovered with respect.

What to see

You admire, with respect, the Gothic choir of dizzying height, among the highest vaults of France, supported by imposing flying buttresses, in this cathedral never completed whose nave was not built, and its treasures: tapestries, altarpieces and old stained-glass windows. St Just and St Pastor Cathedral is a Gothic masterpiece of Narbonne. It is a major stop to be discovered with respect.

Practical information

St Just and St Pastor Cathedral lies in the heart of Narbonne, near the Archbishops' Palace, reachable on foot. A place of worship, it can be visited with respect for services; entry is generally free, but the treasury and certain spaces follow their own conditions, which vary. It is best to check them before coming and to respect the sacred character of the place.

Why is the cathedral of Narbonne unfinished?

Its construction, begun in the thirteenth century, was never completed: only the choir, of dizzying height among the highest vaults of France, was built, while the nave that was to extend it was never constructed.