Beziers hotels and guide

Saint Nazaire de Beziers

The cathedral of Saint-Nazaire Beziers is the largest Gothic monument in the city of Beziers. The cathedral is built on the west side of the old medieval city on a hill overlooking the plain of the river Orb spread below.

 

From the outside, the cathedral has a fortress like appearance, with its architectural elements resembling the forms of a castle. The cathedral is dominated by a massive square tower, 46 m in height. The upper part is decorated with columns, which bases represents each a human face. Many gargoyles, some in poor condition, adorn the walls of the cathedral.

Curiously, the interior of the cathedral forms a Greek cross. The building measures 50m in length, with a nave 14m wide. The great organ installed on a platform at the end of the nave, dates from the 17^th century. The walls are partially covered with ancient frescoes, rehabilitated in 1917. These frescoes have a certain artistic interest, even if they were severely damaged during the wars of religion. The frescoes are dated 14^th and 15^th centuries.