Here’s a look at three out of 24 catholic churches (there are also 2 protestant temples, 3 orthodox churches, 1 jewish synagogue and 3 muslim mosques) to be found in Bordeaux.
Basilica-of-St-Michael
The St Michael Basilica is marked by its separate, 114 meters high, bell tower. The church was built in the end of the 14th century. Three centuries ago, the height of the tower went down to 99 meters after an earthquake, several lighting strikes and a hurricane in 1768. It was only in 1869 that the tower was brought back to its initial height of 114 meters.
The church has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage site due to its involvement with the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route (together with the Bordeaux Cathedral).
This city/town forms part of one of the French legs of the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route.
Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage routes
The front of the Basilica-of-St-Michael church in Bordeaux
The bell tower of the Basilica of Bordeaux
Looking at the Basilica-of-St-Michael through the bell tower
The Basilica-of-St-Michael church in Bordeaux
Inside the bell tower of the Basilica-of-St-Michael church in BordeauxSaint-Eloy Church
The Saint-Eloi church (in French Saint-Eloi) is a church built against the beautiful bell tower named “La Grosse Cloche” (the big bell) or the Eloy Tower (Eloi in French). The construction of this church debuted in the 12th century.
The church saw after the French revolution a rapid decline. It became a shop, a squatters heaven, municipal archives and in 1980 after extensive vandalism, the church was closed. It was only in 2002 that restauration started. Today the church can be visited, but as you can see from the photos below, it’s pretty bland.
The Bell tower of the Saint Eloy (Eloi) church
Inside the Saint Eloy (Eloi) church in Bordeaux
Stained glass window of the Saint Eloy (Eloi) church in Bordeaux
Pulpit of the Saint Eloy (Eloi) church in Bordeaux
The organ of the Saint Eloy (Eloi) church in Bordeaux
A chapel in the Saint Eloy (Eloi) church in BordeauxSaint-Paul-Saint-François-Xavier Church
Construction of the Saint-Paul Saint-François-Xavier Church started in 1661, and from the outside, this church looks pretty simple. But in the inside, it has a whole different appearance.
The start of the church was accomplished by the Jesuit monks, but since 1992, it’s the Dominican monks who run this church. The photo at the very top of this page is from this church.
The front of the Saint-Paul-Saint-François-Xavier church in Bordeau
The amazing altar of the Saint-Paul-Saint-François-Xavier church in Bordeau
The sides of the Saint-Paul-Saint-François-Xavier church in Bordeau
Small chapel inside the Saint-Paul-Saint-François-Xavier church in Bordeau
The organ of the Saint-Paul-Saint-François-Xavier church in Bordeau
The Saint-Paul-Saint-François-Xavier church in Bordeau
The pulpit of the Saint-Paul-Saint-François-Xavier church in Bordeau
Dominican convent next door to the churchConclusion
Bordeaux has many religious buildings, most of them of historical meaning. Unfortunately, many of these churches were destroyed or degraded during the French revolution and WWII.
Then there is the biggest and most important church; the Cathedral of Bordeaux (click here to read our review of it).
Related Posts
- 10000
Bordeaux is not only one of France's biggest cities, it's also the name of the popular red wine region. Bordeaux wines are famous the world over, but the city is quite beautiful as well. Bordeaux, with its 250,000 inhabitants (and total of 1.1 million in the suburbs) is France's 6th… - 10000
The Cathedral in Bordeaux, named the "Saint-Andre de Bordeaux" (Andre being French for Andrew) was started in the 12th century. It was built on top of a small church that itself was built in the 3rd century. It's location (right next to the City Hall, courts and close to the… - 10000
Transport Getting there Air: Bordeaux operates an international airport with flights (scheduled and charter) throughout Europe. Click here to access the airport's website. Ferry: There are no direct ferries from the UK to Bordeaux. The closest in distance would be Bilbao or Santander (both in Spain). For a ferry coming… - 10000
Arcachon is one of those French places that is pleasant to visit but quite far too reach. It's on the Southern part of the French Atlantic coast, near all the Bordeaux wineries, and close enough to Bordeaux for weekend people to invade the area (in other words, many folks from… - 10000
The Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church in Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a special church, both in beauty and historic importance. The first mentions of this church were already found in the 12th century, however, the real construction of the church was in the 15th century. The church is located, like most churches, quite in the…